Linear multi-step methods and their numerical stability for solving gradient flow equations (Q6174722)

The authors discuss the relation between the unconditionally energy stability and the A-/G-stability for gradient flows under the linear multi-step framework. Using the concept of AUES (Absolutely Unconditional Energy Stable), it is shown that the AUES is equivalent to the A-/G-stability. Thanks to the idea of the SAV (Scalar Auxiliary Variable) with Lagrange multiplier, an equivalent gradient flow system is discretized by using linear multi-step method in time and the Fourier pseudo-spectral method in space. It is proved that the established fully-discrete scheme is AUES if and only if the linear multi-step method is A-/G-stable. An easily-checked criterion is provided to verify whether the linear multi-step numerical method is AUES. It is proved also that these AUES schemes not only include the commonly-used backward Euler, Crank-Nicolson, second-order backward differentiation formula (BDF2) schemes, but also include some generalized Adams and Nyström schemes. Some numerical tests are presented to support the theoretical results.