Solving the KPI wave equation with a moving adaptive FEM grid

Abstract

The Kadomtsev-Petviashvili I (KPI) equation is the difficult nonlinear wave equation $U_{xt} + 6U_x^2 + 6UU_{xx} + U_{xxxx} = 3U_{yy}.$ We solve this equation using PDE2D (www.pde2d.com) with initial conditions consisting of two lump solitons, which collide and reseparate. Since the solution has steep, moving, peaks, an adaptive finite element grid is used with a grading which moves with the peaks.

Keywords

• adaptive finite element grid
• KPI equation
• nonlinear wave equation