Numerical Analysis of Direct and Inverse Problems for a Fractional Parabolic Integro-Differential Equation

Abstract

A mathematical model consisting of weakly coupled time fractional one parabolic PDE and one ODE equations describing dynamical processes in porous media is our physical motivation. As is often performed, by solving analytically the ODE equation, such a system is reduced to an integro-parabolic equation. We focus on the numerical reconstruction of a diffusion coefficient at finite number space-points measurements. The well-posedness of the direct problem is investigated and energy estimates of their solutions are derived. The second order in time and space finite difference approximation of the direct problem is analyzed. The approach of Lagrangian multiplier adjoint equations is utilized to compute the Fréchet derivative of the least-square cost functional. A numerical solution based on the conjugate gradient method (CGM) of the inverse problem is studied. A number of computational examples are discussed.