Multi-grid solution of three-dimensional problems with discontinuous coefficients (Q790595)

The multigrid method for elliptic boundary value problems with strongly discontinuous coefficients [cf. \textit{R. E. Alcouffe, A. Brandt, J. E. Dendy} jun. and \textit{J. W. Painter}, SIAM J. Sci. Stat. Comput. 2, 430- 454 (1981; Zbl 0474.76082)] is extended to the three-dimensional case. An interpolation operator from a coarse grid to the next finer grid is defined using the coefficients of the problem on the finer grid. Coarse grid problems are then defined variationally as Galerkin approximations. Smoothings by ILU decomposition and plane relaxation are considered. The algorithm is compared with an efficient incomplete Cholesky conjugate gradient algorithm. Numerical results show that the multigrid method in three dimensions does not perform as good as in two dimensions on similar problems.