Representation of the Lagrange reconstructing polynomial by combination of substencils

G. A. Gerolymos

Published 2011-02-15, updated 2012-02-14Version 3

The Lagrange reconstructing polynomial [Shu C.W.: {\em SIAM Rev.} {\bf 51} (2009) 82--126] of a function $f(x)$ on a given set of equidistant ($\Delta x=\const$) points $\bigl\{x_i+\ell\Delta x;\;\ell\in\{-M_-,...,+M_+\}\bigr\}$ is defined [Gerolymos G.A.: {\em J. Approx. Theory} {\bf 163} (2011) 267--305] as the polynomial whose sliding (with $x$) averages on $[x-\tfrac{1}{2}\Delta x,x+\tfrac{1}{2}\Delta x]$ are equal to the Lagrange interpolating polynomial of $f(x)$ on the same stencil. We first study the fundamental functions of Lagrange reconstruction, show that these polynomials have only real and distinct roots, which are never located at the cell-interfaces (half-points) $x_i+n\tfrac{1}{2}\Delta x$ ($n\in\mathbb{Z}$), and obtain several identities. Using these identities, by analogy to the recursive Neville-Aitken-like algorithm applied to the Lagrange interpolating polynomial, we show that there exists a unique representation of the Lagrange reconstructing polynomial on $\{i-M_-,...,i+M_+\}$ as a combination of the Lagrange reconstructing polynomials on the $K_\mathrm{s}+1\leq M:=M_-+M_+>1$ substencils $\{i-M_-+k_\mathrm{s},...,i+M_+-K_\mathrm{s}+k_\mathrm{s}\}$ ($k_\mathrm{s}\in\{0,...,K_\mathrm{s}\}$), with weights $\sigma_{R_1,M_-,M_+,K_\mathrm{s},k_\mathrm{s}}(\xi)$ which are rational functions of $\xi$ ($x=x_i+\xi\Delta x$) [Liu Y.Y., Shu C.W., Zhang M.P.: {\em Acta Math. Appl. Sinica} {\bf 25} (2009) 503--538], and give an analytical recursive expression of the weight-functions. We then use the analytical expression of the weight-functions $\sigma_{R_1,M_-,M_+,K_\mathrm{s},k_\mathrm{s}}(\xi)$ to obtain a formal proof of convexity (positivity of the weight-functions) in the neighborhood of $\xi=\tfrac{1}{2}$, under the condition that all of the substencils contain either point $i$ or point $i+1$ (or both).