Runge-Kutta type Time Stepping Methods for Space Fractional Reaction Diffusion Model with Restricted Padé Approximation

A new numerical method that solves a time-space-fractional reaction-diffusion equation effectively is presented. The space-fractional Riesz operator is first discretized using fourth order compact finite differences, resulting in a system with a linear stiff term. The system of differential equations is then solved through time integration using an exponential time difference method, which explicitly handles the nonlinear non-stiff term. Restricted Padé rational approximation of a single real pole is used to approximate the matrix exponential e-A. The problems concerning the stability and computational efficiency of this new approach are tackled by means of a splitting technique. Based on compact finite differences with third-order accuracy in time and restricted Padé approximation, this novel efficient technique reduces computing cost and effectively tackles the problems with non-smooth initial data. The superiority of new method in terms of accuracy, reliability, and computational efficiency is finally shown by numerical examples.