POLYNOMIAL APPROXIMATION AND WATER WAVES

Abstract

A different approach to the solution of water wave problems is considered. Instead of using an approximate wave theory combined with highly accurate global spatial approximation methods, as for example in many applications of linear wave theory, a method is developed which uses local polynomial approximation combined with the full nonlinear equations. The method is applied to the problem of inferring wave properties from the record of a pressure transducer, and is found to be capable of high accuracy for waves which are not too short, even for large amplitude waves. The general approach of polynomial approximation is well suited to problems of a rather more general nature, especially where the geometry is at all complicated. It may prove useful in other areas, such as the nonlinear interaction of long waves, shoaling of waves, and in three dimensional problems, such as nonlinear wave refraction and diffraction.