Gen-PINNs: Generative Adversarial Physics Informed Neural Networks for solving partial differential equations

Abstract

Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) are a widely used data-free method for solving Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) using machine learning. With recent advances in Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), adversarial learning has shown strong capabilities for modeling complex data-driven problems; however, the use of GANs in deterministic physics-informed PDE solutions remains limited. In this work, we first identify limitations of standard PINNs for solving PDEs, including spectral bias, loss imbalance, and optimizer stagnation. We then propose Generative Adversarial Physics-Informed Neural Networks (Gen-PINNs), a unified deterministic residual-adversarial framework designed to improve data-free solutions of PDEs with sharp or shock-front behavior. The generator learns the underlying PDE solution using dynamically weighted physics-informed loss components, while separate discriminators evaluate complementary PDE residual features against ideal zero-residual states. The framework further develops and adapts several methodological components, including a Fourier representation for resolving high-frequency spatial content, an orthonormal spectral diagnostic for quantifying frequency-dependent solution errors, and a modified gradient-based dynamic weighting system for physics, initial-condition, boundary-condition, and adversarial loss objectives. Gen-PINNs is tested against standard PINNs on nonlinear and higher-order PDEs, including the Burgers, Allen-Cahn, and Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equations. The results demonstrate substantial improvements in accuracy and convergence across sharp-front, stiff, and higher-order PDE solutions, highlighting the potential of deterministic residual-adversarial learning as an effective approach for solving challenging nonlinear PDEs.