Mixed collocation for fractional differential equations (Q1418848)

This paper is concerned with the numerical solution of the initial value problem for the fractional differential equation of order \( \beta, \) \(( 0 < \beta < 1 )\) given by \( D^{\beta} ( u - u_0) = \Phi ( u(t), t), t>0 \), with \( u - u_0 = 0, t \leq 0\) where \( \Phi \) is a sufficiently regular function and \( D^{\beta}\) is the fractional differential operator in the sense of \textit{Caputo} [Geophys. J. R. Astr. Soc. 13, 529--539 (1967)]. To obtain a scheme that approximates the solution of this problem, the authors introduce the fractional integrator operator \( I^{\beta}\) of order \( \beta \) such that \( I^{\beta} \cdot D^{\beta} \) is the identity operator and they construct a mixed collocation method on \( u(t) - u_0 = I^{\beta} ( \Phi ( u (\cdot), t ) ) \) with a basis of ``hat'' functions similar to the used in mixed finite elements. Some numerical experiments, with linear and non linear \( \Phi \)-functions and fractional order \( \beta = 1/2, \) are presented. In particular, interesting numerical results are obtained for Joulin model of spherical flames that possess a singularity whose detection depends on the grid size.