On solving for shocks and travelling waves using a quantum algorithm

Abstract

In this paper, we solve for shocks and travelling waves in advection, inviscid Burgers’ and Burgers’ equations by implementing a recently established quantum algorithm in the literature. The quantum algorithm has been successful in solving Navier–Stokes, flow generated by Burgers’ and submarine tephra flow equations under certain initial and boundary conditions. Here, we further study the efficacy of the quantum algorithm by extending the application to advection, inviscid Burgers’ and Burgers’ equations under different kinds of initial and boundary conditions. In addition to central differencing and upwinding, Lax–Wendroff discretization scheme has also been introduced in the quantum algorithm to observe how numerical dissipation and dispersion are affected. We recover known travelling waves, and shocks with rarefaction and expansion.