Convergence of Random Splitting Method for the Allen–Cahn Equation in a Background Flow

ABSTRACT We study in this paper the convergence of the random splitting method for the Allen–Cahn equation in a background flow that plays as a simplified model for phase separation in multiphase flows. The model does not own the gradient flow structure as the usual Allen–Cahn equation does, and the random splitting method is advantageous due to its simplicity and better convergence rate. Though the random splitting is a classical method, the analysis of the convergence is not straightforward for this model due to the nonlinearity and unboundedness of the operators. We obtain uniform estimates of various Sobolev norms of the numerical solutions and the stability of the model. Based on the Sobolev estimates, the local truncation errors are then rigorously obtained. We then prove that the random operator splitting has an expected single‐run error of order 1.5 and a bias of order 2. Numerical experiments are then performed to confirm our theoretical findings.