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This is a fast and highly accurate numerical method for the inversion of the Laplace transform

Python, 65 lines
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# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
# Talbot suggested that the Bromwich line be deformed into a contour that begins
# and ends in the left half plane, i.e., z → −∞ at both ends.
# Due to the exponential factor the integrand decays rapidly
# on such a contour. In such situations the trapezoidal rule converge
# extraordinarily rapidly.
# For example here we compute the inverse transform of F(s) = 1/(s+1) at t = 1
#
# >>> error = Talbot(1,24)-exp(-1)
# >>> error
#   (3.3306690738754696e-015+0j)
#
# Talbot method is very powerful here we see an error of 3.3e-015
# with only 24 function evaluations
#
# Created by Fernando Damian Nieuwveldt      
# email:fdnieuwveldt@gmail.com
# Date : 25 October 2009
#
# Reference
# L.N.Trefethen, J.A.C.Weideman, and T.Schmelzer. Talbot quadratures
# and rational approximations. BIT. Numerical Mathematics,
# 46(3):653 670, 2006.


from cmath import *

def Talbot(t,N):
    
#   Initiate the stepsize
    h = 2*pi/N;
  
#   Shift contour to the right in case there is a pole on the positive real axis : Note the contour will
#   not be optimal since it was originally devoloped for function with
#   singularities on the negative real axis
#   For example take F(s) = 1/(s-1), it has a pole at s = 1, the contour needs to be shifted with one
#   unit, i.e shift  = 1. But in the test example no shifting is necessary

    shift = 0.0;
    ans =   0.0;
    
    if t == 0:
        print "ERROR:   Inverse transform can not be calculated for t=0"
        return ("Error");
        
#   The for loop is evaluating the Laplace inversion at each point theta which is based on the trapezoidal   rule
    for k in range(0,N):
        theta = -pi + (k+1./2)*h;
        z = shift + N/t*(0.5017*theta*cot(0.6407*theta) - 0.6122 + 0.2645j*theta); 
        dz = N/t*(-0.5017*0.6407*theta*(csc(0.6407*theta)**2)+0.5017*cot(0.6407*theta)+0.2645j);
        ans = ans + exp(z*t)*F(z)*dz;
        
    return ((h/(2j*pi))*ans).real        
      

#   Here is the Laplace function to be inverted, should be changed manually        
def F(s):
    return 1.0/(s+1.0)

#   Define the trig functions cot(phi) and csc(phi)
def cot(phi):
    return 1.0/tan(phi)

def csc(phi):
    return 1.0/sin(phi)
        

Many problems in applied mathematics can be solved using the Laplace transform such as PDEs for example. The method describe here is fast and accurate. It is based on a deformation of the Bromwich line to a contour that ends in the left half plane, i.e both end points tend to infinity. Here the test function F(s) = 1/(s+1) is used. With only 24 function evaluations, the Talbot method agrees to 15 significant digits. Since it is based on the midpoint rule the number of function evaluations should be manually selected.

2 comments

Rodney Drenth 14 years, 5 months ago  # | flag

Minor point - common programming practice would iterate on range(0,N) and let theta = -pi+(k+1./2)/h

Ahh - semicolons at the end of lines. Old C habit.

BTW I once met the primary author of the book you referenced, Dr. Lloyd Trefethan, back when he & I were still in graduate school. I was impressed and made it a point to remember his name. Super, super smart.

Dieter Kadelka 14 years, 5 months ago  # | flag

A beautiful programm. The algorithm seems to be important and was unkonown to me. In this version there are, I think, rounding problems with large N. These problems can be overcome by using mpmath.

A variant of this recipe is in Recipe 576938

Created by Fernando Nieuwveldt on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 (MIT)
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