Normalized fractional gradient flow for nonlinear Schrödinger/Gross-Pitaevskii equations (Q6189410)

The paper titled ``Normalized fractional gradient flow for nonlinear Schrödinger/Gross-Pitaevskii equations'' by Xavier Antoine, Jérémie Gaidamour, and Emmanuel Lorin explores the development of gradient flow type methods for computing the ground state of nonlinear Schrödinger/Gross-Pitaevskii equations. This research extends the well-known normalized gradient flow (NGF) method through the incorporation of fractional derivatives, thereby generalizing the approach to include fractional normalized gradient f low (FNGF) methods. The novelty of this study lies in its introduction of fractional calculus into the NGF method, which is significant due to the growing interest in fractional models in physics and their potential to naturally incorporate memory effects into the modeling process. The authors meticulously derive and analyze several versions of the FNGF method, emphasizing the use of fractional time derivatives. This methodological innovation allows for a deeper understanding of the ground state computation by including nonlocal fractional effects, which are particularly relevant in the context of quantum physics and related fields. The paper provides a comprehensive mathematical setup for the problem, detailed derivations of the FNGF formulations, and a rigorous analysis of the proposed methods' convergence properties and mathematical robustness. Significant findings from this research include the successful demonstration of the FNGF method's efficacy in computing ground states of nonlinear Schrödinger operators. The authors present a series of numerical experiments to validate the convergence properties and effectiveness of their developed algorithms. Their results not only confirm the theoretical advantages of incorporating fractional derivatives into the NGF method but also highlight the practical implications of their approach in terms of improved computational strategies for solving complex quantum mechanical equations. This study contributes to the field by bridging the gap between classical gradient flow methods and modern fractional calculus, offering novel insights and tools for researchers dealing with nonlinear Schrödinger/Gross-Pitaevskii equations. The integration of fractional derivatives into the NGF framework represents a significant advancement in the numerical simulation of quantum phenomena, potentially leading to more accurate and comprehensive models of physical systems.