which is repeated until the solution for the next timestep $\Bu$ converges
to a satisfactory value.
Nonlinear Coupled Problems
For a nonlinear coupled problem, the weak formulation is as follows
Find $u\in V_1$, $y\in V_2$ such that
\[\begin{equation}
\begin{aligned}
F(u, y, v) &= 0 \\
G(u, y, w) &= 0 \\
\end{aligned}
\label{eq:nonlinearcoupled1}
\end{equation}\]
for all $v\in V_1$, $w \in V_2$ where
$F(\cdot,\cdot, \cdot)$, $G(\cdot, \cdot, \cdot)$ are nonlinear in terms of
$u$ and $y$ and linear in terms of $v$ and $w$.
We linearize the semilinear forms about the nonlinear terms:
\[\begin{equation}
\begin{alignedat}{4}
\Lin[F(u, y, v)]_{\bar{u},\bar{y}}
&= F(\bar{u},\bar{y},v)
&&+ \varn{F(u, y, v)}{u}{\Var u} \evat_{\bar{u},\bar{y}}
&&+ \varn{F(u, y, v)}{y}{\Var y} \evat_{\bar{u},\bar{y}} \\
\Lin[G(u, y, w)]_{\bar{u},\bar{y}}
&= G(\bar{u},\bar{y},w)
&&+ \varn{G(u, y, w)}{u}{\Var u} \evat_{\bar{u},\bar{y}}
&&+ \varn{G(u, y, w)}{y}{\Var y} \evat_{\bar{u},\bar{y}}
\end{alignedat}
\label{eq:nonlinearcoupled2}
\end{equation}\]
where the evaluations take place at $u=\bar{u}$ and $y=\bar{y}$.
Equating the linearized residuals to zero, we obtain a linear system of the form
The Cahn-Hilliard equation describes the process of phase separation, by which
the two components of a binary fluid spontaneously separate and form domains
pure in each component. The problem is nonlinear, coupled and time-dependent.
The IBVP reads
\[\begin{equation}
\mu = \deriv{f}{c} - \nabla\dtp(\BLambda\nabla c)
\label{eq:cahnhilliard2}
\end{equation}\]
and $t\in I = [0,\infty)$. Here,
$c$ is the scalar variable for concentration,
$\mu$ is the scalar variable for the chemical potential,
$f: c \mapsto f(c)$ is the function representing chemical free energy,
$\BM$ is a second-order tensor describing the mobility of the chemical,
$\BLambda$ is a second-order tensor describing both the interface
thickness and direction of phase transition.
The fourth-order PDE governing the problem can be formulated as a coupled
system of two second-order PDEs with the variables $c$ and $\mu$, as
demonstrated in \eqref{eq:cahnhilliard1}
and \eqref{eq:cahnhilliard2}.
The weak formulation then reads
Find $c \in V_1$, $\mu\in V_2$ such that
\[\begin{equation}
\begin{aligned}
\int_\Omega \partd{c}{t} v \dx
- \int_\Omega \nabla\dtp(\BM\nabla \mu) v \dx &=0 \\
\int_\Omega \sbr{\mu - \deriv{f}{c}} w \dx
+ \int_\Omega \nabla\dtp(\BLambda\nabla c) w\dx &= 0
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}\]
for all $v \in V_1$, $w \in V_2$ and $t \in I$.
We discretize in time implicitly with $\del c/\del t \approx
(c_{n+1}-c_n)/\Var t$. We also denote the values for the next timestep
$c_{n+1}$ and $\mu_{n+1}$ as $c$ and $\mu$ for brevity.
Using integration-by-parts, the divergence theorem, and the given boundary
conditions, we arrive at the following nonlinear forms