Preconditioned iterative solution of the 2D Helmholtz equation

Abstract

Using a finite element method to solve the Helmholtz equation leads to a sparse system of equations which in three dimensions is too large to solve directly. It is also non-Hermitian and highly indefinite and consequently difficult to solve iteratively. The approach taken in this paper is to precondition this linear system with a new preconditioner and then solve it iteratively using a Krylov subspace method. Numerical analysis shows the preconditioner to be effective on a simple 1D test problem, and results are presented showing considerable convergence acceleration for a number of different Krylov methods for more complex problems in 2D, as well as for the more general problem of harmonic disturbances to a non-stagnant steady flow.