Publications

2026

• Analysis of the interior transmission problem in an unbounded locally perturbed periodic strip
  
  • Haddar Houssem
  • Jenhani Nouha
  Inverse Problems and Imaging, AIMS American Institute of Mathematical Sciences, 2026, 20, pp.305-329. We analyze the interior transmission problem in a locally perturbed infinite periodic domain, considering the case where the perturbation intersects the periodic background. An equivalent formulation as coupled quasiperiodic problems is obtained by applying the Floquet-Bloch transform. We perform a discretization with respect to the Floquet-Bloch variable and prove the well-posedness of the semi-discretized problem. We then establish some a priori estimates under regularity assumptions that allow us to prove the convergence of the discrete sequence to the solution of the problem. (10.3934/ipi.2025028)
  DOI : 10.3934/ipi.2025028
• Predicting topologically protected interface state with high-frequency homogenization
  
  • Touboul Marie
  • Lombard Bruno
  • Coutant Antonin
  Comptes-Rendus-de-l'Academie-des-Sciences, 2026, 354, pp.269-291. When two semi-infinite periodic media are joined together, a localized interface mode may exist, whose frequency belongs to their common band gap. Moreover, if certain spatial symmetries are satisfied, this mode is topologically protected and thus is robust to defects. A method has recently been proposed to identify the existence and the frequency of this mode, based on the computation of surface impedances at all the frequencies in the gap. In this work, we approximate the surface impedances thanks to highfrequency effective models, and therefore get a prediction of topologically protected interface states while only computing the solution of an eigenvalue problem at the edges of the bandgaps. We also show that the nearby eigenvalues high-frequency effective models give rise to a better approximation of the surface impedance.
• Concentration inequalities for semidefinite least squares based on data
  
  • Fabiani Filippo
  • Simonetto Andrea
  IEEE Signal Processing Letters, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 2026, 33, pp.326-330. We study data-driven least squares (LS) problems with semidefinite (SD) constraints and derive finite-sample guarantees on the spectrum of their optimal solutions when these constraints are relaxed. In particular, we provide a high confidence bound allowing one to solve a simpler program in place of the full SDLS problem, while ensuring that the eigenvalues of the resulting solution are $\varepsilon$-close of those enforced by the SD constraints. The developed certificate, which consistently shrinks as the number of data increases, turns out to be easy-to-compute, distribution-free, and only requires independent and identically distributed samples. Moreover, when the SDLS is used to learn an unknown quadratic function, we establish bounds on the error between a gradient descent iterate minimizing the surrogate cost obtained with no SD constraints and the true minimizer. (10.1109/LSP.2025.3643385)
  DOI : 10.1109/LSP.2025.3643385
• Well-posed homogenized strain-gradient models for linear elastodynamics and elastostatics in arbitrary periodic media
  
  • Cornaggia Rémi
  • Bonnet Marc
  • Rosi Giuseppe
  • El Ouafa Saad
  • Auffray Nicolas
  , 2026. This work develops well-posed homogenized strain-gradient models for linear elastostatics and elastodynamics in periodic media, with a primary focus on elastic wave propagation. Using the classical two-scale asymptotic expansion method, we carry out second-order periodic homogenization for media in $\Rbb^d$ ($d = 2, 3$), with no restriction on the periodicity cell geometry or material distribution. Reciprocity identities applied to suitably chosen pairs of cell solutions provide alternative expressions for the effective stiffness and inertia tensors arising at the leading, first and second orders, substantially reducing the number of cell problems that must actually be solved. Since direct two-scale homogenization beyond leading order generically yields ill-posed effective operators, a Boussinesq-trick procedure is introduced, involving a tunable scalar weight, to recast the resulting fourth-order partial differential equation as a valid strain-gradient elasticity (SGE) model possessing the requisite symmetry, sign-definiteness and coercivity properties. These properties are then used, via the Hille-Yosida theorem, to establish the well-posedness of the corresponding transient initial-value and forced-response problems. Several practically relevant special cases are examined, including centrosymmetric cells, homogeneous mass density and homogeneous elasticity, each yielding simplified model structures. Numerical illustrations on three two-dimensional periodicity cells (square, hexagonal and a non-centrosymmetric chiral lattice) compare the resulting dispersion relations against reference Floquet-Bloch computations and assess transient wave propagation, demonstrating the model's capacity to capture anisotropic and dispersive effects beyond classical elasticity while preserving mathematical well-posedness.
• Crouzeix-Raviart elements on simplicial meshes in $d$ dimensions
  
  • Bohne Nis-Erik
  • Ciarlet Patrick
  • Sauter Stefan
  Foundations of Computational Mathematics, Springer Verlag, 2026. In this paper we introduce Crouzeix-Raviart elements of general polynomial order $k$ and spatial dimension $d\geq2$ for simplicial finite element meshes. We give explicit representations of the non-conforming basis functions and prove that the conforming companion space, i.e., the conforming finite element space of polynomial order $k$ is contained in the Crouzeix-Raviart space. We prove a direct sum decomposition of the Crouzeix-Raviart space into (a subspace of) the conforming companion space and the span of the non-conforming basis functions. Degrees of freedom are introduced which are bidual to the basis functions and give rise to the definition of a local approximation/interpolation operator. In two dimensions or for $k=1$, these freedoms can be split into simplex and $(d-1)$ dimensional facet integrals in such a way that, in a basis representation of Crouzeix-Raviart functions, all coefficients which belong to basis functions related to lower-dimensional faces in the mesh are determined by these facet integrals. It will also be shown that such a set of degrees of freedom does not exist in higher space dimension and $k>1$.
• Machine Learning for Scientific Computing and Numerical Analysis
  
  • Dolean Victorita
  • Montanelli Hadrien
  , 2026. This MSc course introduces and develops advanced methods at the intersection of machine learning and scientific computing, with a special emphasis on solving and analyzing forward and inverse problems governed by partial differential equations. Students will learn how to combine classical numerical methods with modern neural-network architectures to approximate functions, operators, and solution maps, while critically assessing stability, generalization, and interpretability.
• Verification theorem related to a zero sum stochastic differential game, based on a chain rule for non-smooth functions
  
  • Ciccarella Carlo
  • Russo Francesco
  SIAM Journal on Control and Optimization, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, 2026, 64 (1), pp.409-431. In the framework of stochastic zero-sum differential games, we establish a verification theorem, inspired by those existing in stochastic control, to provide sufficient conditions for a pair of feedback controls to form a Nash equilibrium. Suppose the validity of the classical Isaacs' condition and the existence of a (what is termed) quasi-strong solution to the Bellman-Isaacs (BI) equations. If the diffusion coefficient of the state equation is non-degenerate, we are able to show the existence of a saddle point constituted by a couple of feedback controls that achieve the value of the game: moreover, the latter is equal to the (necessarily unique) solution of the BI equations. A suitable generalization is available when the diffusion is possibly degenerate. Similarly we have also improved a well-known verification theorem in stochastic control theory. The techniques of stochastic calculus via regularization we use, in particular specific chain rules, are borrowed from a companion paper of the authors. (10.1137/24M1696676)
  DOI : 10.1137/24M1696676
• A hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin method with transmission variables for time-harmonic electromagnetic problems
  
  • Rappaport Ari
  • Chaumont-Frelet Théophile
  • Modave Axel
  SIAM Journal on Scientific Computing, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, 2026. The CHDG method is a hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) finite element method suitable for the iterative solution of time-harmonic wave propagation problems. Hybrid unknowns corresponding to transmission variables are introduced at the element interfaces and the physical unknowns inside the elements are eliminated, resulting in a hybridized system with favorable properties for fast iterative solution. In this paper, we extend the CHDG method, initially studied for the Helmholtz equation, to the time-harmonic Maxwell equations. We prove that the local problems stemming from hybridization are well-posed and that the fixed-point iteration naturally associated to the hybridized system is contractive. We propose a 3D implementation with a discrete scheme based on nodal basis functions. The resulting solver and different iterative strategies are studied with several numerical examples using a high-performance parallel C++ code.
• Solving numerically the two-dimensional time harmonic Maxwell problem with sign-changing coefficients
  
  • Chaaban Farah
  • Ciarlet Patrick
  • Rihani Mahran
  ESAIM: Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Analysis, Société de Mathématiques Appliquées et Industrielles (SMAI) / EDP, 2026. We are investigating the numerical solution to the 2D time-harmonic Maxwell equations in the presence of a classical medium and a metamaterial, that is with sign-changing coefficients. As soon as the problem has a (unique) solution, we are able to build a converging numerical approximation based on the finite element method, for which there is no constraint on the meshes related to the sign-changing behavior. To that aim, we use Lagrange finite elements to approximate the scalar potentials appearing in the Helmholtz decomposition of the vector-valued electromagnetic fields. Convergence in strong norm is proven for the fields. Numerical examples illustrate the theory.
• Multiscale methods for wave propagation in materials with sign-changing coefficients
  
  • Chung Eric T.
  • Ciarlet Patrick
  • Jin Xingguang
  • Ye Changqing
  Multiscale Modeling and Simulation: A SIAM Interdisciplinary Journal, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, 2026. From a mathematical perspective, the extraordinary properties of metamaterials are often reflected in the coefficients of the governing partial differential equations (PDEs). These coefficients may fall outside the assumptions of classical theory, particularly when the effective dielectric permittivity and/or magnetic permeability are negative. This situation can transform a coercive operator into a non-coercive one, potentially leading to ill-posedness. In this paper, we utilize the Constraint Energy Minimizing Generalized Multiscale Finite Element Method (CEM-GMsFEM), specifically designed for time-harmonic electromagnetic wave problems, where the construction of auxiliary spaces in the original CEM-GMsFEM is tailored to accommodate the sign-changing setting. Based on the framework of T-coercivity theory and resolution conditions, we establish the inf-sup stability and provide an a priori error estimate for the proposed method. The numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of our approach in handling such sophisticated coefficient profiles.
• Squirmers with arbitrary shape and slip: modeling, simulation, and optimization
  
  • Das Kausik
  • Zhu Hai
  • Bonnet Marc
  • Veerapaneni Shravan
  , 2026. We consider arbitrary-shaped microswimmers of spherical topology and propose a framework for expressing their slip velocity in terms of tangential basis functions defined on the boundary of the swimmer using the Helmholtz decomposition. Given a time-independent slip velocity profile, we show that the trajectory followed by the microswimmer is a circular helix. We derive analytical expressions for the translational and rotational velocities of a prolate spheroid swimmer in terms of its Helmholtz decomposition modes and explore the effect of aspect ratio on these rigid body velocities. Then, for a given arbitrary swimmer shape of spherical topology, we investigate which slip profile minimizes the total power loss. A partial minimization is performed in which the direction of net motion of the swimmer is prescribed, followed by a global optimization procedure in which the best net motion direction is determined. The optimization results suggest that the competition between linear and rotational optimal motion is linked to symmetries in the shape of the microswimmer.
• Analysis of time-harmonic electromagnetic problems with elliptic material coefficients
  
  • Ciarlet Patrick
  • Modave Axel
  Mathematical Methods in the Applied Sciences, Wiley, 2026, 49, pp.3797-3815. We consider time-harmonic electromagnetic problems with material coefficients represented by elliptic fields, covering a wide range of complex and anisotropic material media. The properties of elliptic fields are analyzed, with particular emphasis on scalar fields and normal tensor fields. Time-harmonic electromagnetic problems with general elliptic material fields are then studied. Well-posedness results for classical variational formulations with different boundary conditions are reviewed, and hypotheses for the coercivity of the corresponding sesquilinear forms are investigated. Finally, the proposed framework is applied to examples of media used in the literature: isotropic lossy media, geometric media, and gyrotropic media. (10.1002/mma.70318)
  DOI : 10.1002/mma.70318
• An entropy penalized approach for stochastic control problems. Complete version
  
  • Bourdais Thibaut
  • Oudjane Nadia
  • Russo Francesco
  SIAM Journal on Control and Optimization, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, 2026, 64 (1), pp.363-386. In this paper, we propose an original approach to stochastic control problems. We consider a weak formulation that is written as an optimization (minimization) problem on the space of probability measures. We then introduce a penalized version of this problem obtained by splitting the minimization variables and penalizing the discrepancy between the two variables via an entropy term. We show that the penalized problem provides a good approximation of the original problem when the weight of the entropy penalization term is large enough. Moreover, the penalized problem has the advantage of giving rise to two optimization subproblems that are easy to solve in each of the two optimization variables when the other is fixed. We take advantage of this property to propose an alternating optimization procedure that converges to the infimum of the penalized problem with a rate $O(1/k)$, where $k$ is the number of iterations. The relevance of this approach is illustrated by solving a high-dimensional stochastic control problem aimed at controlling consumption in electrical systems. (10.1137/25M1741364)
  DOI : 10.1137/25M1741364
• A HDG method with transmission variables for time-harmonic wave propagation problems with constant coefficients
  
  • Pescuma Simone
  • Gabard Gwénaël
  • Chaumont-Frelet Théophile
  • Modave Axel
  , 2026. Iterative finite element solvers for time-harmonic wave problems are notoriously slow to converge, owing to fundamental properties of these problems. We present a variant of the hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) method that is better suited to fast iterative solution. Unlike the standard hybridization strategy, which eliminates physical unknowns by introducing an auxiliary numerical flux on element faces, our approach instead introduces a transmission variable on those faces. For Helmholtz problems, this reformulation, known as CHDG, has been shown to significantly accelerate the convergence of iterative schemes relative to standard HDG. The present work extends CHDG to a general framework covering wave propagation problems with constant coefficients, capable of handling diverse wave types in a unified manner. We prove that the resulting hybridized system is well-posed and amenable to fixed-point iteration. As a practical application, we apply the method to the time-harmonic linearized Euler equations with a uniform subsonic mean flow. The method is illustrated through two-dimensional numerical benchmarks involving both sound and vorticity waves, with a systematic comparison of the convergence behaviour of several iterative schemes across a range of configurations.