Coefficients identification in fractional diffusion models by the method of time integral characteristics

Inverse problems of identification of the fractional diffusivity and the order of fractional differentiation are considered for linear fractional anomalous diffusion equations with the Riemann–Liouville and Caputo fractional derivatives. As an additional information about the anomalous diffusion process, the concentration functions are assumed to be known at several arbitrary inner points of calculation domain. Numerically-analytical algorithms are constructed for identification of two required parameters of the fractional diffusion equations by approximately known initial data. These algorithms are based on the method of time integral characteristics and use the Laplace transform in time. The Laplace variable can be considered as a regularization parameter in these algorithms. It is shown that the inverse problems under consideration are reduced to the identification problem for a new single parameter which is formed by the fractional diffusivity, the order of fractional differentiation and the Laplace variable. Estimations of the upper error bound for this parameter are derived. A technique of optimal Laplace variable determination based on minimization of these estimations is described. The proposed algorithms are implemented in the AD-TIC package for the Maple software. A brief discussion of this package is also presented.