Choice of the regularization parameter for the Cauchy problem for the Laplace equation

Abstract

Purpose In this paper, the Cauchy-type problem for the Laplace equation was solved in the rectangular domain with the use of the Chebyshev polynomials. The purpose of this paper is to present an optimal choice of the regularization parameter for the inverse problem, which allows determining the stable distribution of temperature on one of the boundaries of the rectangle domain with the required accuracy. Design/methodology/approach The Cauchy-type problem is ill-posed numerically, therefore, it has been regularized with the use of the modified Tikhonov and Tikhonov–Philips regularization. The influence of the regularization parameter choice on the solution was investigated. To choose the regularization parameter, the Morozov principle, the minimum of energy integral criterion and the L-curve method were applied. Findings Numerical examples for the function with singularities outside the domain were solved in this paper. The values of results change significantly within the calculation domain. Next, results of the sought temperature distributions, obtained with the use of different methods of choosing the regularization parameter, were compared. Methods of choosing the regularization parameter were evaluated by the norm Nmax. Practical implications Calculation model described in this paper can be applied to determine temperature distribution on the boundary of the heated wall of, for instance, a boiler or a body of the turbine, that is, everywhere the temperature measurement is impossible to be performed on a part of the boundary. Originality/value The paper presents a new method for solving the inverse Cauchy problem with the use of the Chebyshev polynomials. The choice of the regularization parameter was analyzed to obtain a solution with the lowest possible sensitivity to input data disturbances.