María del Carmen Martí

Non-linear interpolation techniques have been extensively used in several settings such as image processing, data analysis, finance, economy, and overall in solving numerically partial differential equations. In this context, weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) methods have been developed for different problems. The idea of the non-linear methods is to use the data information to avoid the data points where discontinuities or steep gradients appear. The classic WENO combines some polynomial interpolators with a certain order of accuracy to obtain a new interpolator that is more accurate in smooth zones and, at least, as accurate as the original ones when the data present a discontinuity. The construction of the classic WENO method has been formulated for uniform grids and to approximate a particular point of the grid. Recently, Martí et al. in [J. Sci. Comput. 100 (2024), 6] introduced a WENO version for non-uniform grids and used it for the solution of conservation laws and hyperbolic systems in the context of finite volume methods. In this paper, this method is extended and improved, focusing on three aspects. Its efficiency: a more efficient procedure to iteratively compute the reconstruction polynomials for the different types of reconstructions considered in this work is proposed. Its versatility: the designed method can be used in the context of a non-uniform stencil with the reconstruction point located at an arbitrary position. Its order of accuracy: some theoretical results showing that the order of the proposed scheme is optimal on smooth data and as high as possible near discontinuities are presented. Finally, some numerical experiments are performed to illustrate the theoretical results that are presented.

A set of arbitrarily high-order WENO schemes for reconstructions on nonuniform grids is presented. These non-linear interpolation methods use simple smoothness indicators with a linear cost with respect to the order, making them easy to implement and computationally efficient. The theoretical analysis to verify the accuracy and the essentially non-oscillatory properties are presented together with some numerical experiments involving algebraic problems in order to validate them. Also, these general schemes are applied for the solution of conservation laws and hyperbolic systems in the context of finite volume methods.

A set of arbitrarily high-order WENO schemes for reconstructions on nonuniform grids is presented. These non-linear interpolation methods use simple smoothness indicators with a linear cost with respect to the order, making them easy to implement and computationally efficient. The theoretical analysis to verify the accuracy and the essentially non-oscillatory properties are presented together with some numerical experiments involving algebraic problems in order to validate them. Also, these general schemes are applied for the solution of conservation laws and hyperbolic systems in the context of finite volume methods.

The operation of a froth flotation column can be described by a nonlinear convection–diffusion partial differential equation that incorporates the solids–flux and drift–flux theories as well as a model of foam drainage. The resulting model predicts the bubble and (gangue) particle volume fractions as functions of height and time. The steady-state (time-independent) version of the model defines so-called operating charts that map conditions on the gas and pulp feed rates that allow for operation with a stationary froth layer. Operating charts for a suitably adapted version of the model are compared with experimental results obtained with a laboratory flotation column. Experiments were conducted with a two-phase liquid–bubble flow. The results indicate good agreement between the predicted and measured conditions for steady states. Numerical simulations for transient operation, in part for the addition of solid particles, are presented.

In this work, a model for the simulation of infectious disease outbreaks including mobility data is presented. The model is based on the SAIR compartmental model and includes mobility data terms that model the flow of people between different regions. The aim of the model is to analyze the influence of mobility on the evolution of a disease after a lockdown period and to study the appearance of small epidemic outbreaks due to the so-called imported cases. We apply the model to the simulation of the COVID-19 in the various areas of Spain, for which the authorities made available mobility data based on the position of cell phones. We also introduce a method for the estimation of incomplete mobility data. Some numerical experiments show the importance of data completion and indicate that the model is able to qualitatively simulate the spread tendencies of small outbreaks. This work was motivated by an open call made to the mathematical community in Spain to help predict the spread of the epidemic.

Polydisperse sedimentation models can be described by a strongly coupled system of conservation laws for the concentration of each species of solids. Typical solutions for the sedimentation model considered for batch settling in a column include stationary kinematic shocks separating layers of sediment of different composition. This phenomenon, known as segregation of species, is a specially demanding task for numerical simulation due to the need of accurate numerical simulations. Very high-order accurate solutions can be constructed by incorporating characteristic information, available due to the hyperbolicity analysis made in Donat and Mulet [A secular equation for the Jacobian matrix of certain multispecies kinematic flow models, Numer. Methods Partial Differential Equations 26 (2010), pp. 159–175.] But characteristic-based schemes, see Bürger et al. [On the implementation of WENO schemes for a class of polydisperse sedimentation models, J. Comput. Phys. 230 (2011), pp. 2322–2344], are very expensive in terms of computational time, since characteristic information is not readily available, and they are not really necessary in constant areas, where a less complex method can obtain similar results. With this idea in mind, in this paper we develop a hybrid finite difference WENO scheme that only uses the characteristic information of the Jacobian matrix of the system in those regions where singularities exist or are starting to develop, while it uses a component-wise approximation of the scheme in smooth regions. We perform some experiments showing the computational gains that can be achieved by this strategy.