Spectral regularization method for the time fractional inverse advection-dispersion equation (Q609074)

The paper deals with a numerical solution method for an inverse problem associated to the time-fractional advection-dispersion equation \(D_{*t}^\alpha u + b u_x = a u_{xx}\), \(x>0\), \(t>0\), where \(D_{*t}^\alpha\) denotes the Caputo fractional derivative of order \(\alpha \in (0,1]\) with respect to \(t\). This partial differential equation is coupled with the classical initial condition \(u(x,0) = 0\) but a nonstandard alternative to the boundary condition, viz.\ \(u(1,t) = f(t)\) for \(t > 0\) and the requirement that \(u(x,t)\) be bounded as \(x \to \infty\). In a physical interpretation this means that the solute concentration is sought based on measurements of the concentration at a fixed point \textit{inside} the body. The authors demonstrate that the problem is ill posed and propose a spectral regularization method for its solution. A brief discussion of error estimates is given.