The LDG Finite-Element Method for Multi-Order FDEs: Applications to Circuit Equations

The current research study presents a comprehensive analysis of the local discontinuous Galerkin (LDG) method for solving multi-order fractional differential equations (FDEs), with an emphasis on circuit modeling applications. We investigated the existence, uniqueness, and numerical stability of LDG-based discretized formulation, leveraging the Liouville–Caputo fractional derivative and upwind numerical fluxes to discretize governing equations while preserving stability. The method was validated through benchmark test cases, including comparisons with analytical solutions and established numerical techniques (e.g., Gegenbauer wavelets and Dickson collocation). The results demonstrate that the LDG method achieves high-accuracy solutions (e.g., with a relatively large time step size) and reduced computational costs, which are attributed to its element-wise formulation. These findings position LDG as a promising tool for complex scientific and engineering applications, particularly in modeling fractional-order systems such as RL, RLC circuits, and other electrical circuit equations.