Is minimising the convergence rate the best choice for efficient Optimized Schwarz preconditioning in heterogeneous coupling? The Stokes-Darcy case

Abstract

Optimized Schwarz Methods (OSM) are domain decomposition techniques based on Robin-type interface condition that have became increasingly popular in the last two decades. Ensuring convergence also on non-overlapping decompositions, OSM are naturally advocated for the heterogeneous coupling of multi-physics problems. Classical approaches optimize the coefficients in the Robin condition by minimizing the effective convergence rate of the resulting iterative algorithm. However, when OSM are used as preconditioners for Krylov solvers of the resulting interface problem, such parameter optimization does not necessarily guarantee the fastest convergence. This drawback is already known for homogeneous decomposition, but in the case of heterogeneous decomposition, the poor performance of the classical optimization approach becomes utterly evident. In this paper, we highlight this drawback for the Stokes/Darcy problem and we propose a more effective alternative optimization procedure.