Fast algorithm for the three-dimensional Poisson equation in infinite domains

Abstract

Abstract This paper is concerned with a fast finite element method for the three-dimensional Poisson equation in infinite domains. Both the exterior problem and the strip-tail problem are considered. Exact Dirichlet-to-Neumann (DtN)-type artificial boundary conditions (ABCs) are derived to reduce the original infinite-domain problems to suitable truncated-domain problems. Based on the best relative Chebyshev approximation for the square-root function, a fast algorithm is developed to approximate exact ABCs. One remarkable advantage is that one need not compute the full eigensystem associated with the surface Laplacian operator on artificial boundaries. In addition, compared with the modal expansion method and the method based on Pad$\acute{\textrm{e}}$ approximation for the square-root function, the computational cost of the DtN mapping is further reduced. An error analysis is performed and numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method.