PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

We consider quadratic eigenvalue problems with large and sparse matrices depending on a parameter. Problems of this type occur, for example, in the stability analysis of spatially discretized and parameterized nonlinear wave equations. The aim of the paper is to present and analyze a continuation method for invariant subspaces that belong to a group of eigenvalues, the number of which is much smaller than the dimension of the system. The continuation method is of predictor-corrector type, similar to the approach for the linear eigenvalue problem in [Beyn, Kless, and Thummler, Ergodic Theory, Analysis, and Efficient Simulation of Dynamical Systems, Springer, Berlin, 2001], but we avoid linearizing the problem, which will double the dimension and change the sparsity pattern. The matrix equations that occur in the predictor and the corrector step are solved by a bordered version of the Bartels-Stewart algorithm. Furthermore, we set up an update procedure that handles the transition from real to complex conjugate eigenvalues, which occurs when eigenvalues from inside the continued cluster collide with eigenvalues from outside. The method is demonstrated on several numerical examples: a homotopy between random matrices, a fluid conveying pipe problem, and a traveling wave of a damped wave equation.