Reduced order models based on local POD plus Galerkin projection

A method is presented to accelerate numerical simulations on parabolic problems using a numerical code and a Galerkin system (obtained via POD plus Galerkin projection) on a sequence of interspersed intervals. The lengths of these intervals are chosen according to several basic ideas that include an a priori estimate of the error of the Galerkin approximation. Several improvements are introduced that reduce computational complexity and deal with: (a) updating the POD manifold (instead of calculating it) at the end of each Galerkin interval; (b) using only a limited number of mesh points to calculate the right hand side of the Galerkin system; and (c) introducing a second error estimate based on a second Galerkin system to account for situations in which qualitative changes in the dynamics occur during the application of the Galerkin system. The resulting method, called local POD plus Galerkin projection method, turns out to be both robust and efficient. For illustration, we consider a time-dependent Fisher-like equation and a complex Ginzburg–Landau equation.