A High-Order Hybrid Approach Integrating Neural Networks and Fast Poisson Solvers for Elliptic Interface Problems

A new high-order hybrid method integrating neural networks and corrected finite differences is developed for solving elliptic equations with irregular interfaces and discontinuous solutions. Standard fourth-order finite difference discretization becomes invalid near such interfaces due to the discontinuities and requires corrections based on Cartesian derivative jumps. In traditional numerical methods, such as the augmented matched interface and boundary (AMIB) method, these derivative jumps can be reconstructed via additional approximations and are solved together with the unknown solution in an iterative procedure. Nontrivial developments have been carried out in the AMIB method in treating sharply curved interfaces, which, however, may not work for interfaces with geometric singularities. In this work, machine learning techniques are utilized to directly predict these Cartesian derivative jumps without involving the unknown solution. To this end, physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) are trained to satisfy the jump conditions for both closed and open interfaces with possible geometric singularities. The predicted Cartesian derivative jumps can then be integrated in the corrected finite differences. The resulting discrete Laplacian can be efficiently solved by fast Poisson solvers, such as fast Fourier transform (FFT) and geometric multigrid methods, over a rectangular domain with Dirichlet boundary conditions. This hybrid method is both easy to implement and efficient. Numerical experiments in two and three dimensions demonstrate that the method achieves fourth-order accuracy for the solution and its derivatives.