On nonsmooth solutions of linear hyperbolic systems (Q1913774)

Initial value problems for hyperbolic systems with smooth periodic coefficients are solved numerically when the initial values are nonsmooth. The authors consider a modification of the Fourier-Galerkin method, more specifically that of the Fourier-Bernoulli method presented by the first author [called re-truncation procedure, see e.g. Math. Comput. 61, No. 204, 745-763 (1993; Zbl 0790.65014), ibid. 64, No. 210, 671-690 (1994; Zbl 0830.65144), Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Eng. 116, 103-112 (1994; Zbl 0831.65103)]. The method is based on the fact that the coefficients in a truncated spatial Fourier series for a piecewise smooth function carry the whole information about the singularity locations and the corresponding jumps of the function and its derivatives. Thus, using this information reduces the task to the traditional methods suitable for solving smooth hyperbolic problems, together with a Runge-Kutta method to solve the systems of ordinary differential equations for the time-dependent Fourier coefficients. Carefully selected examples (convincing by the combination of analytic and numerical ideas) show that the discontinuities and the fine-structure of structured solutions are accurately resolved already on relative coarse grids.