Kernel Learning of PDE Solution Operators

Abstract

A kernel-based approach for the learning of the solution operator of general nonhomogeneous partial differential equations (PDEs) is proposed. The method incorporates physical priors, typically encoded through the PDE operator, into a kernel ridge regression framework, and employs a regularization-based formulation to construct an operator learner. This yields a closed-form estimator that is independent of the input functions that determine the underlying PDE. From the perspective of regularization theory, the resulting estimator induces a well-defined operator that links input and output spaces, which contain the functions that define a Dirichlet problem and its solution, respectively. Consequently, it effectively shifts from a PDE solver to an operator-based solver. In contrast to standard supervised learning methods, it does not rely on paired input--output training data and enables systematic extrapolation beyond observed regimes. A full error analysis is conducted, providing convergence rates for the operator-based solver under suitable choices of regularization parameters. Extensive numerical experiments, including Darcy flow and Helmholtz equations, demonstrate that the proposed method achieves high accuracy and efficiency across a range of problem settings, and compares favorably with operator learning approaches in both approximation quality and computational cost.