The simulation of random heterogeneous materials is often very expensive. For instance, in a homogenization setting, the homogenized coefficient is defined from the so-called corrector function, that solves a partial differential equation set on the entire space. This is in contrast with the periodic case, where he corrector function solves an equation set on a single periodic cell. As a consequence, in the stochastic setting, the numerical approximation of the corrector function (and therefore of the homogenized coefficient) is a challenging computational task.
In practice, the corrector problem is solved on a truncated domain, and the exact homogenized coefficient is recovered only in the limit of infinitely large domains. As a consequence of this truncation, the approximated homogenized coefficient turns out to be stochastic, even though the exact homogenized coefficient is deterministic. One then has to resort to Monte-Carlo methods, in order to compute the expectation of the (approximated, apparent) homogenized coefficient within a good accuracy. Variance reduction questions thus naturally come into play, in order to increase the accuracy (e.g. reduce the size of the confidence interval) for a fixed computational cost. In this talk, we will present some variance reduction approaches to address this question.[-]

We discuss some examples of the "good" effects of "very bad", "irregular" functions. In particular we will look at non-linear differential (partial or ordinary) equations perturbed by noise. By defining a suitable notion of "irregular" noise we are able to show, in a quantitative way, that the more the noise is irregular the more the properties of the equation are better. Some examples includes: ODE perturbed by additive noise, linear stochastic transport equations and non-linear modulated dispersive PDEs. It is possible to show that the sample paths of Brownian motion or fractional Brownian motion and related processes have almost surely this kind of irregularity. (joint work with R. Catellier and K. Chouk)[-]

We will first recall, for a general audience, the use of Monte Carlo and Multi-level Monte Carlo methods in the context of Uncertainty Quantification. Then we will discuss the recently developed Adaptive Multilevel Monte Carlo (MLMC) Methods for (i) It Stochastic Differential Equations, (ii) Stochastic Reaction Networks modeled by Pure Jump Markov Processes and (iii) Partial Differential Equations with random inputs. In this context, the notion of adaptivity includes several aspects such as mesh refinements based on either a priori or a posteriori error estimates, the local choice of different time stepping methods and the selection of the total number of levels and the number of samples at different levels. Our Adaptive MLMC estimator uses a hierarchy of adaptively refined, non-uniform time discretizations, and, as such, it may be considered a generalization of the uniform discretization MLMC method introduced independently by M. Giles and S. Heinrich. In particular, we show that our adaptive MLMC algorithms are asymptotically accurate and have the correct complexity with an improved control of the multiplicative constant factor in the asymptotic analysis. In this context, we developed novel techniques for estimation of parameters needed in our MLMC algorithms, such as the variance of the difference between consecutive approximations. These techniques take particular care of the deepest levels, where for efficiency reasons only few realizations are available to produce essential estimates. Moreover, we show the asymptotic normality of the statistical error in the MLMC estimator, justifying in this way our error estimate that allows prescribing both the required accuracy and confidence level in the final result. We present several examples to illustrate the above results and the corresponding computational savings.[-]

We describe and analyze the Multi-Index Monte Carlo (MIMC) and the Multi-Index Stochastic Collocation (MISC) method for computing statistics of the solution of a PDE with random data. MIMC is both a stochastic version of the combination technique introduced by Zenger, Griebel and collaborators and an extension of the Multilevel Monte Carlo (MLMC) method first described by Heinrich and Giles. Instead of using first-order differences as in MLMC, MIMC uses mixed differences to reduce the variance of the hierarchical differences dramatically. These mixed differences yield new and improved complexity results, which are natural generalizations of Giles's MLMC analysis, and which increase the domain of problem parameters for which we achieve the optimal convergence. On the same vein, MISC is a deterministic combination technique based on mixed differences of spatial approximations and quadratures over the space of random data. Provided enough mixed regularity, MISC can achieve better complexity than MIMC. Moreover, we show that, in the optimal case, the convergence rate of MISC is only dictated by the convergence of the deterministic solver applied to a one-dimensional spatial problem. We propose optimization procedures to select the most effective mixed differences to include in MIMC and MISC. Such optimization is a crucial step that allows us to make MIMC and MISC computationally efficient. We show the effectiveness of MIMC and MISC in some computational tests using the mimclib open source library, including PDEs with random coefficients and Stochastic Interacting Particle Systems. Finally, we will briefly discuss the use of Markovian projection for the approximation of prices in the context of American basket options.[-]

The mathematical framework of variational inequalities is a powerful tool to model problems arising in mechanics such as elasto-plasticity where the physical laws change when some state variables reach a certain threshold [1]. Somehow, it is not surprising that the models used in the literature for the hysteresis effect of non-linear elasto-plastic oscillators submitted to random vibrations [2] are equivalent to (finite dimensional) stochastic variational inequalities (SVIs) [3]. This presentation concerns (a) cycle properties of a SVI modeling an elasto-perfectly-plastic oscillator excited by a white noise together with an application to the risk of failure [4,5]. (b) a set of Backward Kolmogorov equations for computing means, moments and correlation [6]. (c) free boundary value problems and HJB equations for the control of SVIs. For engineering applications, it is related to the problem of critical excitation [7]. This point concerns what we are doing during the CEMRACS research project. (d) (if time permits) on-going research on the modeling of a moving plate on turbulent convection [8]. This is a mixture of joint works and / or discussions with, amongst others, A. Bensoussan, L. Borsoi, C. Feau, M. Huang, M. Laurière, G. Stadler, J. Wylie, J. Zhang and J.Q. Zhong.[-]

Consider the following stochastic heat equation,
\[
\frac{\partial u_t(x)}{\partial t}=-\nu(-\Delta)^{\alpha/2} u_t(x)+\sigma(u_t(x))\dot{F}(t,\,x), \quad t>0, \; x \in \mathbb{R}^d.
\]
Here $-\nu(-\Delta)^{\alpha/2}$ is the fractional Laplacian with $\nu>0$ and $\alpha \in (0,2]$, $\sigma: \mathbb{R}\rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ is a globally Lipschitz function, and $\dot{F}(t,\,x)$ is a Gaussian noise which is white in time and colored in space. Under some suitable conditions, we will explore the effect of the initial data on the spatial asymptotic properties of the solution. We also prove a strong comparison principle thus filling an important gap in the literature.
Joint work with Mohammud Foondun (University of Strathclyde).[-]

The mechanism responsible for blow-up is well-understood for many hyperbolic conservation laws. Indeed, for a whole class of problems including the Burgers equation and many aggregation-diffusion equations such as the 1D parabolic-elliptic Keller-Segel system, the time and nature of the blow-up can be estimated by ODE arguments. It is, however, a much more delicate question to understand the small-scale behaviour of the viscous layers appearing in (classic or fractional) parabolic regularisations of these conservation laws.
Here we give sharp estimates for Sobolev norms and for a class of small-scale quantities such as increments and energy spectrum (which are relevant for the theory of turbulence), for solutions of these conservation laws. Moreover, many of our results can be generalised for perturbations of the viscous conservation laws by random additive noise, and some of them admit a simpler formulation in this case. To our best knowledge, these are the only sharp results of this type for small-scale behaviour of solutions of nonlinear PDEs.
The work on the aggregation-diffusion equations is an ongoing collaboration with Piotr Biler and Grzegorz Karch (Wroclaw) and Philippe Laurençot (Toulouse).[-]