Research reports

Numerical analysis of physics-informed neural networks and related models in physics-informed machine learning

by T. De Ryck and S. Mishra

(Report number 2024-06)

Abstract
Physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) and their variants have been very popular in recent years as algorithms for the numerical simulation of both forward and inverse problems for partial differential equations. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of currently available results on the numerical analysis of PINNs and related models that constitute the backbone of physics-informed machine learning. We provide a unified framework in which analysis of the various components of the error incurred by PINNs in approximating PDEs can be effectively carried out. A detailed review of available results on approximation, generalization and training errors and their behavior with respect to the type of the PDE and the dimension of the underlying domain is presented. In particular, the role of the regularity of the solutions and their stability to perturbations in the error analysis is elucidated. Numerical results are also presented to illustrate the theory. We identify training errors as a key bottleneck which can adversely affect the overall performance of various models in physics-informed machine learning.

Keywords: numerical analysis, physics-informed machine learning, PINNs

BibTeX
@Techreport{DM24_1088,
  author = {T. De Ryck and S. Mishra},
  title = {Numerical analysis of physics-informed neural networks and related models in physics-informed machine learning},
  institution = {Seminar for Applied Mathematics, ETH Z{\"u}rich},
  number = {2024-06},
  address = {Switzerland},
  url = {https://www.sam.math.ethz.ch/sam_reports/reports_final/reports2024/2024-06.pdf },
  year = {2024}
}

Disclaimer
© Copyright for documents on this server remains with the authors. Copies of these documents made by electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, may only be employed for personal use. The administrators respectfully request that authors inform them when any paper is published to avoid copyright infringement. Note that unauthorised copying of copyright material is illegal and may lead to prosecution. Neither the administrators nor the Seminar for Applied Mathematics (SAM) accept any liability in this respect. The most recent version of a SAM report may differ in formatting and style from published journal version. Do reference the published version if possible (see SAM Publications).

JavaScript has been disabled in your browser