An estimate of accuracy for interpolant numerical solutions of a PDE problem

Abstract

In this paper we present an estimate of accuracy for a piecewise polynomial approximation of a classical numerical solution to a non linear differential problem. We suppose the numerical solution U is computed using a grid with a small linear step and interval time Tu, while the polynomial approximation V is an interpolation of the values of a numerical solution on a less fine grid and interval time Tv << Tu. The estimate shows that the interpolant solution V can be, under suitable hypotheses, a good approximation and in general its computational cost is much lower of the cost of the fine numerical solution. We present two possible applications to linear case and periodic case.