A multilevel preconditioner for the C-R FEM for elliptic problems with discontinuous coefficients

In this paper, we propose a multilevel preconditioner for the Crouzeix-Raviart finite element approximation of second-order elliptic partial differential equations with discontinuous coefficients. Since the finite element spaces are nonnested, weighted intergrid transfer operators, which are stable under the weighted L2 norm, are introduced to exchange information between different meshes. By analyzing the eigenvalue distribution of the preconditioned system, we prove that except a few small eigenvalues, all the other eigenvalues are bounded below and above nearly uniformly with respect to the jump and the mesh size. As a result, we get that the convergence rate of the preconditioned conjugate gradient method is quasi-uniform with respect to the jump and the mesh size. Numerical experiments are presented to confirm our theoretical analysis.     

A weak Galerkin mixed finite element method for the Helmholtz equation with large wave numbers

In this article, a new weak Galerkin mixed finite element method is introduced and analyzed for the Helmholtz equation with large wave numbers. The stability and well‐posedness of the method are established for any wave number k without mesh size constraint. Allowing the use of discontinuous approximating functions makes weak Galerkin mixed method highly flexible in term of little restrictions on approximations and meshes. In the weak Galerkin mixed finite element formulation, approximation functions can be piecewise polynomials with different degrees on different elements and meshes can consist elements with different shapes. Suboptimal order error estimates in both discrete H¹ and L² norms are established for the weak Galerkin mixed finite element solutions. Numerical examples are tested to support the theory.     

Development of a P2 element with optimal L2 convergence for biharmonic equation

It is well known that convergence rate of finite element approximation is suboptimal in the L² norm for solving biharmonic equations when P₂ or Q₂ element is used. The goal of this paper is to derive a weak Galerkin (WG) P₂ element with the L² optimal convergence rate by assuming the exact solution sufficiently smooth. In addition, our new WG finite element method can be applied to general mesh such as hybrid mesh, polygonal mesh or mesh with hanging node. The numerical experiments have been conducted on different meshes including hybrid meshes with mixed of pentagon and rectangle and mixed of hexagon and triangle.     

Interior maximum norm estimates for finite element discretizations of the Stokes equations

Interior estimates are proved in the L ^∞ norm for stable finite element discretizations of the Stokes equations on translation invariant meshes. These estimates yield information about the quality of the finite element solution in subdomains a positive distance from the boundary. While they have been established for second-order elliptic problems, these interior, or local, maximum norm estimates for the Stokes equations are new. By applying finite differenciation methods on a translation invariant mesh, we obtain optimal convergence rates in the mesh size h in the maximum norm. These results can be used for analyzing superconvergence in finite element methods for the Stokes equations.     

非定常Navier-Stokes方程的质量集中各向异性非协调有限元逼近

该文将一个低阶Crouzeix-Raviart型非协调三角形元应用到非定常Navier-Stokes方程,给出了其质量集中有限元逼近格式.在不需要传统Ritz-Volterra投影下,通过引入两个辅助有限元空间对边界进行估计的技巧,在各向异性网格下导出了速度的L~2模和能量模及压力的L~2模的误差估计.     

Extrapolation and superconvergence of the Steklov eigenvalue problem

On the basis of a transform lemma, an asymptotic expansion of the bilinear finite element is derived over graded meshes for the Steklov eigenvalue problem, such that the Richardson extrapolation can be applied to increase the accuracy of the approximation, from which the approximation of O(h ^3.5) is obtained. In addition, by means of the Rayleigh quotient acceleration technique and an interpolation postprocessing method, the superconvergence of the bilinear finite element is presented over graded meshes for the Steklov eigenvalue problem, and the approximation of O(h ³) is gained. Finally, numerical experiments are provided to demonstrate the theoretical results.     

Graded mesh refinement and error estimates of higher order for DGFE solutions of elliptic boundary value problems in polygons

Error estimates for DGFE solutions are well investigated if one assumes that the exact solution is sufficiently regular. In this article, we consider a Dirichlet and a mixed boundary value problem for a linear elliptic equation in a polygon. It is well known that the first derivatives of the solutions develop singularities near reentrant corner points or points where the boundary conditions change. On the basis of the regularity results formulated in Sobolev–Slobodetskii spaces and weighted spaces of Kondratiev type, we prove error estimates of higher order for DGFE solutions using a suitable graded mesh refinement near boundary singular points. The main tools are as follows: regularity investigation for the exact solution relying on general results for elliptic boundary value problems, error analysis for the interpolation in Sobolev–Slobodetskii spaces, and error estimates for DGFE solutions on special graded refined meshes combined with estimates in weighted Sobolev spaces. Our main result is that there exist a local grading of the mesh and a piecewise interpolation by polynoms of higher degree such that we will get the same order O (h^α) of approximation as in the smooth case. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Mehods Partial Differential Eq, 2012     

Local flux mimetic finite difference methods

We develop a local flux mimetic finite difference method for second order elliptic equations with full tensor coefficients on polyhedral meshes. To approximate the velocity (vector variable), the method uses two degrees of freedom per element edge in two dimensions and n degrees of freedom per n-gonal mesh face in three dimensions. To approximate the pressure (scalar variable), the method uses one degree of freedom per element. A specially chosen quadrature rule for the L ²-product of vector-functions allows for a local flux elimination and reduction of the method to a cell-centered finite difference scheme for the pressure unknowns. Under certain assumptions, first-order convergence is proved for both variables and second-order convergence is proved for the pressure. The assumptions are verified on simplicial meshes for a particular quadrature rule that leads to a symmetric method. For general polyhedral meshes, non-symmetric methods are constructed based on quadrature rules that are shown to satisfy some of the assumptions. Numerical results confirm the theory.     

Finite Element Methods for the Stokes System in Three-Dimensional Exterior Domains

The article treats the question of how to numerically solve the Dirichlet problem for the Stokes system in the exterior of a three-dimensional bounded Lipschitz domain. In a first step, the solution of this problem is approximated by functions solving the Stokes system in a truncated domain and satisfying a suitable artificial boundary condition on the outer boundary of this truncated domain. In a second step, this new problem is approximately solved in finite element spaces related to a graded mesh as introduced by Goldstein [Math. Comp., 36, 387–404 (1981)]. The difference between this finite element approximation and the exact solution of the exterior Stokes problem is estimated in the norm of suitable unweighted L²-Sobolev spaces. These estimates are analogous to corresponding results which are known for the Poisson equation. © 1997 by B.G. Teubner Stuttgart-John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A remark on the optimality of adaptive finite element methods

We show that the standard assumption on the smallness of the marking parameter θ in adaptive finite element methods can be avoided for the proof of the optimality of the algorithm. To this end we propose a new technique based on comparison of the solutions of different finite element spaces obtained by different refinements of a given mesh. We consider conforming and nonconforming low-order finite elements on triangular and tetrahedral meshes.     

The hp finite element method for singularly perturbed problems in nonsmooth domains

We consider the numerical approximation of singularly perturbed elliptic boundary value problems over nonsmooth domains. We use a decomposition of the solution that contains a smooth part, a corner layer part and a boundary layer part. Explicit guidelines for choosing mesh‐degree combinations are given that yield finite element spaces with robust approximation properties. In particular, we construct an hp finite element space that approximates all components uniformly, at a near exponential rate. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 15: 63–89, 1999     

Locally Supported,Piecewise Polynomial Biorthogonal Wavelets on Nonuniform Meshes

In this paper, biorthogonal wavelets are constructed on nonuniform meshes. Both primal and dual wavelets are locally supported, continuous piecewise polynomials. The wavelets generate Riesz bases for the Sobolev spaces (H^s) for (|s| < 3/2). The wavelets at the primal side span standard Lagrange finite element spaces.     

A recovery‐based error estimator for finite volume methods of interface problems: Conforming linear elements

In this article, we present a recovery‐based a posteriori error estimator for finite volume methods which use the conforming linear trial functions to approximate elliptic interface problems. The reliability and efficiency bounds for the error estimator are established by recovering the flux from a weighted L² projection to H(div) conforming finite element spaces. Numerical experiments are given to support the conclusions. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 2013     

Local and parallel algorithms for fourth order problems discretized by the Morley–Wang–Xu element method

This paper systematically studies numerical solution of fourth order problems in any dimensions by use of the Morley–Wang–Xu (MWX) element discretization combined with two-grid methods (Xu and Zhou (Math Comp 69:881–909, 1999)). Since the coarse and fine finite element spaces are nonnested, two intergrid transfer operators are first constructed in any dimensions technically, based on which two classes of local and parallel algorithms are then devised for solving such problems. Following some ideas in (Xu and Zhou (Math Comp 69:881–909, 1999)), the intrinsic derivation of error analysis for nonconforming finite element methods of fourth order problems (Huang et al. (Appl Numer Math 37:519–533, 2001); Huang et al. (Sci China Ser A 49:109–120, 2006)), and the error estimates for the intergrid transfer operators, we prove that the discrete energy errors of the two classes of methods are of the sizes O(h + H ²) and O(h + H ²(H/h)^(d−1)/2), respectively. Here, H and h denote respectively the mesh sizes of the coarse and fine finite element triangulations, and d indicates the space dimension of the solution region. Numerical results are performed to support the theory obtained and to compare the numerical performance of several local and parallel algorithms using different intergrid transfer operators.     

Evaluating Local Approximations of the L2-Orthogonal Projection Between Non-Nested Finite Element Spaces

We present quantitative studies of transfer operators between finite element spaces associated with unrelated meshes. Several local approximations of the global $L^2$-orthogonal projection are reviewed and evaluated computationally. The numerical studies in 3D provide the first estimates of the quantitative differences between a range of transfer operators between non-nested finite element spaces. We consider the standard finite element interpolation, Clément's quasi-interpolation with different local polynomial degrees the global $L^2$-orthogonal projection, a local $L^2$-quasi-projection via a discrete inner product, and a pseudo-$L^2$-projection defined by a Petrov-Galerkin variational equation with a discontinuous test space. Understanding their qualitative and quantitative behaviors in this computational way is interesting per se; it could also be relevant in the context of discretization and solution techniques which make use of different non-nested meshes. It turns out that the pseudo-$L^2$-projection approximates the actual $L^2$-orthogonal projection best. The obtained results seem to be largely independent of the underlying computational domain; this is demonstrated by four examples (ball, cylinder, half torus and Stanford Bunny).     

L ∞-error estimates of triangular mixed finite element methods for optimal control problems governed by semilinear elliptic equations

We look at L ^∞-error estimates for convex quadratic optimal control problems governed by nonlinear elliptic partial differential equations. In so doing, use is made of mixed finite element methods. The state and costate are approximated by the lowest order Raviart-Thomas mixed finite element spaces, and the control, by piecewise constant functions. L ^∞-error estimates of optimal order are derived for a mixed finite element approximation of a semilinear elliptic optimal control problem. Finally, numerical tests are presented which confirm our theoretical results.     

Estimate of the Constant in Two Strengthened C.B.S. Inequalities for F.E.M. Systems of 2D Elasticity: Application to Multilevel Methods and a Posteriori Error Estimators

The constant γ in the strengthened Cauchy-Buniakowski-Schwarz (C.B.S.) inequality plays a crucial role in the convergence rate of multilevel iterative methods as well as in the efficiency of a posteriori error estimators, that is in the framework of finite element approximations of SPD problems. We consider the approximation of the 2D elasticity problem by the Courant element. Concerning multilevel convergence rate, that is the γ corresponding to nested general triangular meshes of size h and 2h, we have proved that γ²≤ 3/4$ uniformly on the mesh and the Poisson ratio. Concerning error estimator, that is the γ corresponding to quadratic and linear approximations on the same mesh, numerical computations have shown that the exact γ for a reference element deteriorates that is goes to one, when the Poisson ratio tends to 1/2     

L 2 error estimates and superconvergence of the finite volume element methods on quadrilateral meshes

This paper is concerned with the finite volume element methods on quadrilateral mesh for second-order elliptic equation with variable coefficients. An error estimate in L ² norm is shown on the quadrilateral meshes consisting of h ²-parallelograms. Superconvergence of numerical solution is also derived in an average gradient norm on h ²-uniform quadrilateral meshes. Numerical examples confirm our theoretical conclusions.     

Finite element analysis of exponentially fitted Lumped schemes for time-dependent convection-diffusion problems

Summary In the paper we consider a singularly perturbed linear parabolic initialboundary value problem in one space variable. Two exponential fitted schemes are derived for the problem using Petrov-Galerkin finite element methods with various choices of trial and test spaces. On rectangular meshes which are either arbitrary or slightly restricted, we derive global energy norm andL ² norm and localL error bounds which are uniform in the diffusion parameter. Numerical results are also persented.