Numerical Solutions and Pattern
Formation Process in Fractional
Diffusion-Like Equations
Kolade M. Owolabi
Abstract Nowadays, a lot of researchers have challenged the use of classical dif-
fusion equation to model real life situations. To circumvent some of the up-roaring
challenges, time and space fractional derivatives have been proposed as alternative
to model some anomalous diffusion or related processes where a particle plume
spreads at inconsistent rate with the classical Brownian motion model. In this work,
we shall consider the general diffusion equations with fractional order derivatives
which describe the diffusion in complex systems. Fractional diffusion equation is
obtained by allowing the exponent order α to vary in the intervals (0, 1) and (1, 2)
which correspond to subdiffusion and superdiffusion special cases. For the numerical
approximations, we propose to use the newly correct version of the Adams-Bashforth
scheme which takes into account the nonlinearity of the kernels such as the Mittag-
Leffler law for the Atangana-Baleanu case, the power law for the Riemann-Liouville
and Caputo derivatives. The efficiency and accuracy of the numerical schemes based
on these operators will be justified by reporting their norm infinity and norm rel-
ative errors. The complexity of the dynamics in the equations will be discussed
theoretically by examining their local and global stability analysis. Our numerical
experiment results are expected to give a new direction into pattern formation process
in fractional diffusion-like scenarios.
Keywords Fractional calculus · Atangana-Baleanu fractional derivative ·
Diffusion equations
K. M. Owolabi (B)
Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Institute for Groundwater Studies,
University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
e-mail: kmowolabi@futa.edu.ng
K. M. Owolabi
Department of Mathematical Sciences, Federal University of Technology, PMB 704,
Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019
J. F. Gómez et al. (eds.), Fractional Derivatives with Mittag-Leffler Kernel,
Studies in Systems, Decision and Control 194,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11662-0_12
195