Block-Centered Finite-Difference Methods for Time-Fractional Fourth-Order Parabolic Equations

Abstract

The block-centered finite-difference method has many advantages, and the time-fractional fourth-order equation is widely used in physics and engineering science. In this paper, we consider variable-coefficient fourth-order parabolic equations of fractional-order time derivatives with Neumann boundary conditions. The fractional-order time derivatives are approximated by L1 interpolation. We propose the block-centered finite-difference scheme for fourth-order parabolic equations with fractional-order time derivatives. We prove the stability of the block-centered finite-difference scheme and the second-order convergence of the discrete L2 norms of the approximate solution and its derivatives of every order. Numerical examples are provided to verify the effectiveness of the block-centered finite-difference scheme.