RESEARCH STATEMENT

Mariano Cristobal Franco de Leon

www.mcfrancodeleon.com
c.franco632@gmail.com

Introduction
My research interest is in Applied and Computational Mathematics. I have a background in Differen-
tial Geometry which makes me especially interested in the solution of non-linear partial differential equations
arising in the context of geometric flows, soliton theory, and its applications. I am focused on the development,
implementation, and analysis of numerical methods to study dispersive equations. My future research involves
the study of soliton collisions, convergence, stability analysis (using perturbation theory and nondeterministic
models), the motion of curves in planar non-Euclidean geometries as well as the dispersive behavior of curves
and surfaces in 3-D.

Geometric curve flow models have been particularly important in the study of interface motion, where
we understand an interface as a geometrical one-dimensional surface with no thickness. Under these laws, curves
evolve according to local functionals of their properties. A classical example is mean curvature flow [1],[2],[3],[4].
The governing equations are parabolic partial differential equations. In a materials science context, mean cur-
vature flows are related to the motion of grain boundaries that separate crystallites (grains) with different
crystallographic symmetries. Significant parabolic flows are Willmore flow, whose surface evolution tends to
minimize the square of mean curvature, and Ricci flow where the evolution of the metric tensor of a surface is
proportional to the Ricci tensor [5], [6]. Another type of geometric evolution, where the governing equations are
dispersive rather than parabolic, has been garnering increased attention. Dispersive equations arise in a variety of
applications including collision-free hydromagnetic waves, ion-acoustic waves in cold plasma, electrostatic fields
of graphene, human arm movement, computer vision [7],[8],[9],[10],[11]. The mathematical theories behind dis-
persive equations have revealed deep relations within differential geometry, geometrical analysis, soliton theory,
and integrable systems [9],[12],[13],[14],[15].

Solitons were discovered when Russell (1834) observed a solitary wave of translation down a canal.
The soliton model for shallow water waves was proposed (1895) by Diederik Korteweg and Gustav de Vries
with the so-called KdV equation kt + kkx + kxxx = 0, where k represents the amplitude of the wave and (x, t)
the space-time coordinates. KdV has been studied over the real line, where contributions of Zabusky, Gardner,
Green, Kruskal, Miura, Lax (1965-1974) [16] displayed striking properties of KdV including: the preservation
of form through non-linear interactions, decomposition of waves into smaller solitons, infinite number of conser-
vation laws, its relations with the Schrodinger operator (eigenvalue problem) [9], [17], the Miura transform to
obtain solutions (and well-posedness) of KdV from solutions (and well-posedness) of the modified KdV equation
(mKdV) kt = ksss + 23 k 2 ks [18], [9],[19], and the inverse scattering transform (IST), that can be applied to a
more general Hamiltonian Systems. For other (e.g. kinks, breathers) type of KdV-mKdV solutions or periodic
domains (also well-posed [15]), this approach is not plausible since decay at is a crucial hypothesis for IST.
Other analytical techniques to find solutions of (periodic and non-periodic) KdV-mKdV like equations include
the use of Jacobi, Weierstrass functions, Hamiltonian structures, Backlund-Darboux transforms, the tangent hy-
perbolic method [20], [21], [22], [23], [24], [25], [26], [27]. Neverthless, there is a lot of work to develop regarding
the orbital stability of (periodic/non-periodic) waves under perturbations of the underlying solution, collisions,
multisolitons, generalizations, and relations with other equations (gKdV, compactons, soliton resolution conjec-
ture, nonlinear Schrodinger-Airy system) [28], [29], [30], [31],[32].

Numerical techniques have been an important tool in understanding and representing such complex
systems. The main approaches when solving initial values of free surface flows can be classified in two main

M. C. Franco de Leon. www.mcfrancodeleon.com 1/6

branches; interface tracking methods (Lagrangian) and interface capturing (Eulerian). Lagrangian methods rely
on discretizations of the surface (e.g. surface triangulation) and approximations of the geometric properties (e.g.
mean curvature). The surface discretizations are then explicitly evolved to approximate the motion of the contin-
uous surface ([7],[33],[34],[35],[36]). Advantages of interface tracking include high order accuracy and efficiency
while weaknesses of this approach include a constant need to maintain an accurate representation of the interface
(often by remeshing). Further, topological transitions (e.g. merging/splitting interfaces) are challenging in three
dimensions. On the other hand, the Eulerian approach typically introduces a higher dimensional function so that
the surface is the level set (e.g. zero set) of the function. Then, the surface is evolved by posing an evolution
equation of the level-set function ([37],[38],[39]). An advantage of Eulerian formulations includes the ability
to capture topological transitions while drawbacks include lower order accuracy and the inefficiency of having
to evolve a function in higher dimensions. Those primary classes of algorithms, as well as mixed approaches
([40],[41],[4],[42], [43]), had been focus on the solution of parabolic (dissipative case) partial differential equations,
there are far fewer methods developed for simulating dispersive geometric evolution equations [7],[36],[44].

Research Interests
During my doctoral studies, I adapted, implemented, developed, and analyzed, numerical methods to
solve KdV, and mKdV (with periodic boundary conditions) by studying their corresponding curve flows, Airy
and Central Affine. The high number of spatial derivatives, nonlinearities, and dispersion represent particular
challenges when solving dispersive geometric equations. Explicit time stepping methods suffers from severe time
constraints. In addition, certain spatial discretizations may lead to numerical instabilities, and as observed pre-
viously [45],[39],[46],[47] even spectral accuracy does not guarantee stability. Further, time-step constraints may
be amplified during the evolution due to clustering of points at the interface. An important feature for curvature
dependent problems is the relation between the curvature k and , the angle that makes the tangent vector and
the x-axis. Based on the work of Hou, Lowengrub, and Shelley (HLS) [48] (1994) to overcome stiffness arising
due curvature, I have examined the source of stiffness for Airy flow by applying the small-scale decomposition
(SSD) of the equations, at which curvature acts as a linear operator. An enormous simplification is achieved after
considering and L (length of the curve) as dynamical variables instead of the (x,y) coordinates (-L formu-
lation). Spatial derivatives are computed using pseudo-spectral methods due the accuracy and simplicity when
calculating high order derivatives. The tangential velocity in Airy flow equations avoids numerical instabilities
arising due to clustering of points at the interface and allows the recovery of periodic solutions for mKdV from
the curvature of the curve.

In parallel with the formulation for Airy flow, I am working on the initial value problem of periodic
curves under Affine Geometry, specifically in the Central Affine flow. A central affine arclength parameter a, can
be computed for curves with no inflection points. This parameter is affine unit speed in the sense that the area
between the curve X and the tangent Xa is constant and equal to one. So, curves can be described in terms the
affine frame (affine normal and tangential velocities). In particular, the affine tangential velocity enforces equal
affine arclength parameter at all times provided it is satisfied at the initial configuration, this avoids inaccuracies
when computing spatial derivatives and allows the reconstruction of KdV (periodic) solutions from the affine
curvature q (q L formulation).

Linear analysis and numerical conservation of first integrals of motion (mass, momentum and energy
[49], [9], [50]) for KdV and mKdV equations were derived and used to test the accuracy of the numerical meth-
ods. Semi-discrete (continuous time) analysis (e.g. [46],[47]) suggested that numerical filters need to be used
to overcome instabilities generated by truncation and aliasing errors arising when computing spatial derivatives
[51]. In contrast, the fully discrete space-time analysis of convergence demonstrates that the use of the filter is
not related to convergence, but may enhance stability. Numerical results confirm the appropriate convergence
rates and optimal temporal stability constraint th C where the constant C is independent of discretization but
depends on higher order derivatives, and the interval of evolution for each scheme. Thus the numerical methods
developed here are efficient, stable and converge to the solution of these equations (Airy flow, mKdV, and KdV).

M. C. Franco de Leon. www.mcfrancodeleon.com 2/6

 1.5

0.5

0.5

T=0
T=.2
1 T=.4
T=.6
T=.8
T=1
1.5
1.5 1 0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5
Airy flow evolution

Figure 1: The evolution under Airy flow of a perturbed circle (x(, 0), y(, 0)) = r(cos , sin ), [0, 2] , r =
1 + 0.4 cos(3) as initial shape with frames at times T = 0, .2, .4, .6, .8, 1.

Next, I briefly describe the future directions of my research:

1. A first step moving forward to 3D evolution is the simulation of 1D curves in a three-dimensional space.
In particular, I am focus on the numerical solution of Schrodinger Flow [52] defined over the sphere for a
curve : R2 S2 , and also known as Heisenberg Ferromagnetic Model (HFM):

t = xx , (1)

where as usual (t, x) are temporal and spatial variables. HFM is also related to a Nonlinear Schrodinger
(soliton) type of equation. Singularities from the torsion need specific care in the selection of variables
(frame) to avoid numerical instabilities. An effective treatment to overcome stiffness is the generalization
of -L formulation for 3-D based on generalized curvatures. In this case the length of the curve, and an
angular variable can be used as dynamical variables (parallel frame) [53].
2. Study motion of planar curves and integrable equations in Klein geometries derived from primitive Lie
Algebras of vectors fields in R2 . In such cases, a precise notion of arclength, curvature, normal and tangent
vectors can be defined. In parallel with the Euclidean case (Airy flow), the curvature determines the curve
up to a rigid motion (of the corresponding geometry [14]) from where different hierarchies of integrable
equations arise (KdV, focusing and defocusing mKdV, Burgers, Sawada-Kotera). Numerical challenges
not only include the dispersive nature of the equations, and the high number of derivatives involved, curve
reconstruction in terms of curvature is significantly more challenging for non-Euclidean geometries, I am
currently working in affine curve reconstruction. An immediate extension of these ideas outside the plane
is the numerical evolution of curve flows and integrable equations for Klein geometries over the cylinder
S1 R from where these equations also arise [54].
3. I am interested in using pseudo-spectral methods to study the generalized KdV equation (gKdV ) kt +
kxxx + (k p )x = 0. In particular, the stability of solutions under perturbations (subharmonic) of the initial
configuration. Soliton collisions for the periodic cases p = 2 (KdV), p = 3 (mKdV), and adapt the
methods for gKdV over the real line, particularly in the case p = 4 where no information is known about
the behavior of soliton collisions when t [55]. Even more challenging is the case p = 5 (mass critical
case) where the global existence of solutions remain open even for smooth initial decaying data [29].

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 4. Based on the ideas applied to the evolution of homogeneous crystalline surfaces that incorporates surface
diffusion and other transport mechanisms, I will develop Diffuse-interface methods for simulating dispersive
geometric flows (2D surfaces in three dimensions) and study the Euclidean monopole equation. This
equation can be understood as a system of hyperbolic equations that describe the evolution of magnetic
poles as specified by Dirac [56]. In contrast with KdV solutions, monopoles will behave nontrivially after
collisions due a momentum transfer, and can be used to study shrinking solitons. The use of capturing
methods are motivated by its simplicity for 3-D simulation; adaptive mesh refinement can be used to
reduce the computational cost by enabling the use of refined meshes only near the surface [40].
I am excited to continue working in this interdisciplinary field where numerical analysis and efficient algo-
rithms for the representation (solution) and visualization of complex systems (wave motion, dispersive systems,
geometric flows) can also be used as an empirical tools to analyze theoretical issues in differential geometry,
soliton theory, dynamical and integrable systems. Soliton behavior is an edge between structure and chaos.
Sophisticated analytical and computational techniques are needed to capture its non-linear nature, local/non-
local effects, decrease the errors on the representation, increase the speed of computation, and reduce storage in
memory, which together are especially challenging in 3D.

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