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Olivier Verdier: The spherical midpoint method

Time: Thu 2017-06-08 14.15 - 15.00

Location: KTH Mathematics, Lindstedtsvägen 25, floor 7, room 3721

Participating: Olivier Verdier, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences

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Abstract:

Spin systems model spinning black holes binaries, ferromagnetic materials (Laudau–Lifshitz equation), or hurricanes on gas planets. Their phase spaces, products of spheres, have a natural symplectic structure for which those systems are Hamiltonian. Is there a method with no extra variable which preserves symplecticity? The answer is yes, and it is a remarkable modification of the classical midpoint method. I will explain what symplecticity means, why it is important in numerical integration, and where this new midpoint method comes from.

This is joint work with Robert McLachlan and Klas Modin.