Quasi-Helmholtz Calderón Multiplicative Preconditioning for Higher-Order Global Multi-Trace Integral Equations
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: The paper presents a higher-order global multi-trace integral equation for time-harmonic electromagnetic scattering by composite objects. The higher-order multi-trace formulation is preconditioned with a Calderón multiplicative preconditioner using higher-order quasi-Helmholtz projectors. The higher-order quasi-Helmholtz projectors separate the solenoidal and non-solenoidal components of the basis functions. Separate access to the Helmholtz components circumvents the explicit inversion of an ill-conditioned mixed Gram matrix. This enables the application of Calderón multiplicative preconditioning without refining the mesh and resorting to dual basis functions. Furthermore, it enables low-frequency stabilization, as the solenoidal and non-solenoidal components can be rescaled individually. The higher-order quasi-Helmholtz projectors are computed iteratively, enabling iterative solvers to efficiently solve the preconditioned matrix system, yielding accurate solutions in a few dozen iterations. Numerical experiments are conducted for composite dielectric bodies, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed preconditioner for the global multi-trace formulation discretized with higher-order basis functions for dense meshes and at very low frequencies
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Institutions: Ghent University, IMEC
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7213417504