High-order, Compact, and Symmetric Finite Difference Methods for a $d$-Dimensional Hypercube

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Feng, Qiwei, Han, Bin, Michelle, Michelle, Sim, Jiwoon
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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_version_ 1866914155567513600
author Feng, Qiwei
Han, Bin
Michelle, Michelle
Sim, Jiwoon
author_facet Feng, Qiwei
Han, Bin
Michelle, Michelle
Sim, Jiwoon
contents This paper presents compact, symmetric, and high-order finite difference methods (FDMs) for the variable Poisson equation on a $d$-dimensional hypercube. Our scheme produces a symmetric linear system: an important property that does not immediately hold for a high-order FDM. Since the model problem is coercive, the linear system is in fact symmetric positive definite, and consequently many fast solvers are applicable. Furthermore, the symmetry combined with the minimum support of the stencil keeps the storage requirement minimal. Theoretically speaking, we prove that a compact, symmetric 1D FDM on a uniform grid can achieve arbitrary consistency order. On the other hand, in the $d$-dimensional setting, where $d \ge 2$, the maximum consistency order that a compact, symmetric FDM on a uniform grid can achieve is 4. If $d=2$ and the diffusion coefficient satisfies a certain derivative condition, the maximum consistency order is 6. Moreover, the finite compact, symmetric, 4th-order FDMs for $d\ge 3$, can be conveniently expressed as a linear combination of two types of FDMs: one that depends on partial derivatives along one axis, and the other along two axes. All finite difference stencils are explicitly provided for ease of reproducibility.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_03927
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle High-order, Compact, and Symmetric Finite Difference Methods for a $d$-Dimensional Hypercube
Feng, Qiwei
Han, Bin
Michelle, Michelle
Sim, Jiwoon
Numerical Analysis
65N06, 35J25
This paper presents compact, symmetric, and high-order finite difference methods (FDMs) for the variable Poisson equation on a $d$-dimensional hypercube. Our scheme produces a symmetric linear system: an important property that does not immediately hold for a high-order FDM. Since the model problem is coercive, the linear system is in fact symmetric positive definite, and consequently many fast solvers are applicable. Furthermore, the symmetry combined with the minimum support of the stencil keeps the storage requirement minimal. Theoretically speaking, we prove that a compact, symmetric 1D FDM on a uniform grid can achieve arbitrary consistency order. On the other hand, in the $d$-dimensional setting, where $d \ge 2$, the maximum consistency order that a compact, symmetric FDM on a uniform grid can achieve is 4. If $d=2$ and the diffusion coefficient satisfies a certain derivative condition, the maximum consistency order is 6. Moreover, the finite compact, symmetric, 4th-order FDMs for $d\ge 3$, can be conveniently expressed as a linear combination of two types of FDMs: one that depends on partial derivatives along one axis, and the other along two axes. All finite difference stencils are explicitly provided for ease of reproducibility.
title High-order, Compact, and Symmetric Finite Difference Methods for a $d$-Dimensional Hypercube
topic Numerical Analysis
65N06, 35J25
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.03927