Solving the Poisson equation on a surface by reduction to a 1-dimensional problem (Q731441)

Let \(\Gamma\) be a smooth closed surface in \({\mathbb R}^3\) with induced Riemannian metric \(g\). In this paper, the authors explain how to find and to use conformal coordinate charts to reduce the problem of solving the Poisson equation on \(\Gamma\), \(\Delta_gu=f\), to that of solving computationally simpler problems on domains in the plane. If the genus, \(p\), of \(\Gamma\) is at least \(2\), then the problem is reduced to solving a \(2\times2\)-system of Fredholm equations of second kind on a union of \(p+1\) smoothly embedded simple closed curves in the plane. If the genus of \(\Gamma\) is 1, then one can either solve a system of Fredholm equations on two embedded simple closed curves, or use the Fourier series representation. Finally, if the genus is 0, then one can either solve a system of Fredholm equations on a single embedded simple closed curve, or work directly on the unit sphere and use the spherical harmonic representation. In the paper numerical examples are given also.