On Stability, Monotonicity, and Construction of Central Schemes for Hyperbolic Conservation Laws with Source Terms I: Theory

The monotonicity and stability of difference schemes for, in general, hyperbolic systems of conservation laws with source terms are studied. The basic approach is to investigate the stability and monotonicity of a non-linear scheme in terms of its corresponding scheme in variations. Such an approach leads to application of the stability theory for linear equation systems to establish stability of the corresponding non-linear scheme. In this first paper, we focus on the theoretical background. The main methodological innovation is the theorems establishing the notion that a non-linear scheme is stable (and monotone) if the corresponding scheme in variations is stable (and, respectively, monotone). Criteria are developed for monotonicity and stability of difference schemes associated with the numerical analysis of systems of partial differential equations. The theorem of Friedrichs (1954) is generalized to be applicable to variational schemes. High-order interpolation and employment of monotone piecewise cubics in construction of monotone central schemes are considered.