Representations of Gaussian Random Fields and Approximation of Elliptic PDEs with Lognormal Coefficients

Abstract

Approximation of elliptic PDEs with random diffusion coefficients typically requires a representation of the diffusion field in terms of a sequence $y=(y_j)_{j\ge 1}$ of scalar random variables. One may then apply high-dimensional approximation methods to the solution map $y\mapsto u(y)$. Although Karhunen–Loève representations are commonly used, it was recently shown, in the relevant case of lognormal diffusion fields, that multilevel-type expansions may yield better approximation rates. Motivated by these results, we construct wavelet-type representations of stationary Gaussian random fields defined on arbitrary bounded domains. The size and localization properties of these wavelets are studied, and used to obtain polynomial approximation results for the related elliptic PDE which outperform those achievable when using Karhunen–Loève representations. Our construction is based on a periodic extension of the stationary random field, and the expansion on the domain is then obtained by simple restriction. This makes the approach easily applicable even when the computational domain of the PDE has a complicated geometry. In particular, we apply this construction to the class of Gaussian processes defined by the family of Matérn covariances. The proposed periodic continuation technique has other relevant applications such as fast simulation of trajectories. It can be regarded as a continuous analog of circulant embedding techniques introduced for Toeplitz matrices. One of its specific features is that the rate of decay of the eigenvalues of the covariance operator of the periodized process provably matches that of the Fourier transform of the covariance function of the original process.