Inverse source problem in a forced network

Abstract

We address the nonlinear inverse source problem of identifying a time-dependent source occurring in one node of a network governed by a wave equation. We prove that time records of the associated state taken at a strategic set of two nodes yield uniqueness of the two unknown elements: the source position and the emitted signal. We develop a non-iterative identification method that localizes the source node by solving a set of well posed linear systems. Once the source node is localized, we identify the emitted signal using a deconvolution problem or a Fourier expansion. Numerical experiments on a $5$ node graph confirm the effectiveness of the approach.