On the Numerical Solution of 1D and 2D KdV Equations Using Variational Homotopy Perturbation and Finite Difference Methods

The KdV equation has special significance as it describes various physical phenomena. In this paper, we use two methods, namely, a variational homotopy perturbation method and a classical finite-difference method, to solve 1D and 2D KdV equations with homogeneous and non-homogeneous source terms by considering five numerical experiments with initial and boundary conditions. The variational homotopy perturbation method is a semi-analytic technique for handling linear as well as non-linear problems. We derive classical finite difference methods to solve the five numerical experiments. We compare the performance of the two classes of methods for these numerical experiments by computing absolute and relative errors at some spatial nodes for short, medium and long time propagation. The logarithm of maximum error vs. time from the numerical methods is also obtained for the experiments undertaken. The stability and consistency of the finite difference scheme is obtained. To the best of our knowledge, a comparison between the variational homotopy perturbation method and the classical finite difference method to solve these five numerical experiments has not been undertaken before. The ideal extension of this work would be an application of the employed methods for fractional and stochastic KdV type equations and their variants.

Automated summary

The KdV equation is important in describing various physical phenomena. In this paper, we solve 1D and 2D KdV equations with homogeneous and non-homogeneous source terms using variational homotopy perturbation method and classical finite-difference method. We compare the performance of these methods by computing absolute and relative errors at different time scales. We also analyze the stability and consistency of the finite difference scheme. Additionally, we point out the potential application of these methods for fractional and stochastic KdV type equations and their variants.