A class of second order approximations, called the weighted and shifted Grünwald difference (WSGD) operators, are proposed for Riemann-Liouville fractional derivatives, with their effective applications to numerically solving space fractional diffusion equations in one and two dimensions. The stability and convergence of our difference schemes for space fractional diffusion equations with constant coefficients in one and two dimensions are theoretically established. Several numerical examples are implemented to test the efficiency of the numerical schemes and confirm the convergence order, and the numerical results for variable coefficients problem are also presented.

Based on the weighted and shifted Grünwald difference (WSGD) operators [24], we further construct the compact finite difference discretizations for the fractional operators. Then the discretization schemes are used to approximate the one and two dimensional space fractional diffusion equations. The detailed numerical stability and error analysis are theoretically performed. We theoretically prove and numerically verify that the provided numerical schemes have the convergent orders 3 in space and 2 in time.

No abstract

No abstract