Transfer operator methods for modelling high-frequency wave fields - advancements through modern functional and numerical analysis

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Modelling high-frequency wave fields ranging from noise and vibration to electromagnetic waves is a challenging task. Wave simulations for large-scale, complex structures such as aeroplanes, cars or buildings are mainly based on a class of methods, known as finite element techniques, which are efficient only at low frequencies with typical length-scales of the structure being comparable to or smaller than the wavelength. Noise and vibration modelling in the automotive industry, for example, can be performed reliably with finite element techniques only up to 500Hz. An alternative technique, termed Dynamical Energy Analysis (DEA), has recently been developed in Nottingham and is based on computing energy flow equations. It has been refined to be applicable to real scale structures such as a large container ship or a tractor model from Yanmar Co, Ltd, a tractor manufacturer from Japan. The method is now used both in the engineering community and by industry. DEA exhibits a rich underlying mathematical structure, formulated in terms of an operator, known as transfer operator, originally arising in the theory of chaotic dynamical systems. In order to advance the applicability of the method further, a thorough mathematical analysis is needed. The aim of this proposal is to exploit advanced tools from functional analysis to put DEA on sound foundations and, at the same time, improve the efficiency of the method further in a systematic way. This is facilitated by recent progress in transfer operator methods and numerical analysis. The former allows for an increased flexibility in constructing new function spaces on which the operator has good spectral properties, the latter is achieved using block compression and reordering techniques for the DEA matrix based on matrix graph algorithms to improve solver efficiency and enhance parallelism. The project members have the expertise to bring these diverse fields together with Queen Mary University of London leading in transfer operator techniques, the University of Nottingham bringing in detailed knowledge on current implementations of DEA and Nottingham Trent University having the numerical analysis skills in the context of energy flow equations. The project thus constitutes a prime example where pure mathematics informs applied mathematics and the arising knowledge is channelled straight into industrial applications.