Sub-exponential graph coloring algorithm for stencil-based Jacobian computations

Partial differential equations can be discretized using a regular Cartesian grid and a stencil-based method to approximate the partial derivatives. The computational effort for determining the associated Jacobian matrix can be reduced. This reduction can be modeled as a (grid) coloring problem. Currently, this problem is solved by using a heuristic approach for general graphs or by developing a formula for every single stencil. We introduce a sub-exponential algorithm using the Lipton-Tarjan separator in a divide-and-conquer approach to compute an optimal coloring. The practical relevance of the algorithm is evaluated when compared with an exponential algorithm and a greedy heuristic.