Quasi-Trefftz DG for the wave equation
We consider the wave operator
$$
\begin{align*} \begin{split}
(\square_G f)(\mathbf{x},t):= \Delta f(\mathbf{x},t)-G(\mathbf{x})\partial_t^2 f(\mathbf{x},t).
\end{split} \end{align*}
$$
with smooth coefficient \(G(\mathbf{x})\). Constructing a basis for a traditional Trefftz space (i.e. a space of functions with \(\square_G f=0\)) is not possible. The crucial idea is that we want to relax the Trefftz porperty to
$$\square_G f=\mathcal{O}(\|(\mathbf{x},t)-(\mathbf{x}_K,t_K)\|^q), $$
with respect to the center of a mesh element \(K\) and up to some \(q\). This leads to the definition of a new quasi-Trefftz space: For an element \(K\) in a space-time mesh let
$$
\begin{align*} \begin{split}
\mathbb{T}^p(K):=\big\{
f\in\mathbb{P}^p(K) \ \mid&\ D^{i}\square_G f(\mathbf{x}_K,t_K)=0,\\ &\forall i\in \mathbb{N}^{n+1}_0, |i|<p-1
\big\},
\end{split} \end{align*}
$$
For this space we are able to construct a basis. We then introduce a space-time DG method with test and trial functions that are locally quasi-Trefftz. The example below shows an acoustic wave propagating through a material with \(G(x,y)=y+1\) and homogeneous Neumann boundary conditions.
Wave propagation in inhomogeneous material using quasi-Trefftz DG