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     

Some remarks on the constant in the strengthened CBS inequality: Estimate for hierarchical finite element discretizations of elasticity problems

For a class of two‐dimensional boundary value problems including diffusion and elasticity problems, it is proved that the constants in the corresponding strengthened Cauchy‐Buniakowski‐Schwarz (CBS) inequality in the cases of two‐level hierarchical piecewise‐linear/piecewise‐linear and piecewise‐linear/piecewise‐quadratic finite element discretizations with triangular meshes differ by the factor 0.75. For plane linear elasticity problems and triangulations with right isosceles triangles, formulas are presented that show the dependence of the constant in the CBS inequality on the Poisson's ratio. Furthermore, numerically determined bounds of the constant in the CBS inequality are given for plane linear elasticity problems discretized by means of arbitrary triangles and for three‐dimensional elasticity problems discretized by means of tetrahedral elements. Finally, the robustness of iterative solvers for elasticity problems is discussed briefly. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 15: 469–487, 1999     

Strengthened Cauchy–Bunyakowski–Schwarz inequality for a three‐dimensional elasticity system

The constant γ of the strengthened Cauchy–Bunyakowski–Schwarz (CBS) inequality plays a fundamental role in the convergence rate of multilevel iterative methods. The main purpose of this work is to give an estimate of the constant γ for a three‐dimensional elasticity system. The theoretical results obtained are practically important for the successful implementation of the finite element method to large‐scale modelling of complicated structures as they allow us to construct optimal order algebraic multilevel iterative solvers for a wide class of real‐life elasticity problems. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Uniform estimate of the constant in the strengthened CBS inequality for anisotropic non‐conforming FEM systems

Preconditioners based on various multilevel extensions of two‐level finite element methods (FEM) lead to iterative methods which have an optimal order computational complexity with respect to the size of the system. Such methods were first presented in Axelsson and Padiy (SIAM. J. Sci. Stat. Comp. 1990; 20 :1807) and Axelsson and Vassilevski (Numer. Math. 1989; 56 :157), and are based on (recursive) two‐level splittings of the finite element space. The key role in the derivation of optimal convergence rate estimates is played by the constant γ in the so‐called Cauchy–Bunyakowski–Schwarz (CBS) inequality, associated with the angle between the two subspaces of the splitting. It turns out that only existence of uniform estimates for this constant is not enough but accurate quantitative bounds for γ have to be found as well. More precisely, the value of the upper bound for γ∈(0,1) is part of the construction of various multilevel extensions of the related two‐level methods. In this paper, an algebraic two‐level preconditioning algorithm for second‐order elliptic boundary value problems is constructed, where the discretization is done using Crouzeix–Raviart non‐conforming linear finite elements on triangles. An important point to make is that in this case the finite element spaces corresponding to two successive levels of mesh refinements are not nested. To handle this, a proper two‐level basis is considered, which enables us to fit the general framework for the construction of two‐level preconditioners for conforming finite elements and to generalize the method to the multilevel case. The major contribution of this paper is the derived estimates of the related constant γ in the strengthened CBS inequality. These estimates are uniform with respect to both coefficient and mesh anisotropy. To our knowledge, the results presented in the paper are the first such estimates for non‐conforming FEM systems. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Upper Bound of the Constant in Strengthened C.B.S. Inequality for Systems of Linear Partial Differential Equations

The constant in the strengthened Cauchy–Bunyakowski–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 the framework of finite element approximations of systems of partial differential equations. We consider an approximation of general systems of linear partial differential equations in R ³. Concerning a multilevel convergence rate corresponding to nested general tetrahedral meshes of size h and 2h, we give an estimate of this constant for general three-dimensional cases.     

Two Simple Derivations of Universal Bounds for the C.B.S. Inequality Constant

Universal bounds for the constant in the strengthened Cauchy-Bunyakowski-Schwarz inequality for piecewise linear-linear and piecewise quadratic-linear finite element spaces in 2 space dimensions are derived. The bounds hold for arbitrary shaped triangles, or equivalently, arbitrary matrix coefficients for both the scalar diffusion problems and the elasticity theory equations.     

An efficient hierarchical preconditioner for quadratic discretizations of finite element problems

Higher order finite element discretizations, although providing higher accuracy, are considered to be computationally expensive and of limited use for large‐scale problems. In this paper, we have developed an efficient iterative solver for solving large‐scale quadratic finite element problems. The proposed approach shares some common features with geometric multigrid methods but does not need structured grids to create the coarse problem. This leads to a robust method applicable to finite element problems discretized by unstructured meshes such as those from adaptive remeshing strategies. The method is based on specific properties of hierarchical quadratic bases. It can be combined with an algebraic multigrid (AMG) preconditioner or with other algebraic multilevel block factorizations. The algorithm can be accelerated by flexible Krylov subspace methods. We present some numerical results on the convection–diffusion and linear elasticity problems to illustrate the efficiency and the robustness of the presented algorithm. In these experiments, the performance of the proposed method is compared with that of an AMG preconditioner and other iterative solvers. Our approach requires less computing time and less memory storage. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A survey of multilevel preconditioned iterative methods

We survey multilevel iterative methods applied for solving large sparse systems with matrices, which depend on a level parameter, such as arise by the discretization of boundary value problems for partial differential equations when successive refinements of an initial discretization mesh is used to construct a sequence of nested difference or finite element meshes.We discuss various two-level (two-grid) preconditioning techniques, including some for nonsymmetric problems. The generalization of these techniques to the multilevel case is a nontrivial task. We emphasize several ways this can be done including classical multigrid methods and a recently proposed algebraic multilevel preconditioning method. Conditions for which the methods have an optimal order of computational complexity are presented.On leave from the Institute of Mathematics, and Center for Informatics and Computer Technology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria. The research of the second author reported here was partly supported by the Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam.     

Error reduction of the adaptive conforming and nonconforming finite element methods with red–green refinement

In this paper, we analyze the convergence of the adaptive conforming and nonconforming $P_1$ finite element methods with red–green refinement based on standard Dörfler marking strategy. Since the mesh after refining is not nested into the one before, the usual Galerkin-orthogonality or quasi-orthogonality for newest vertex bisection does not hold for this case. To overcome such a difficulty, we develop some new quasi-orthogonality instead under certain condition on the initial mesh (Condition A). Consequently, we show convergence of the adaptive methods by establishing the reduction of some total errors. To weaken the condition on the initial mesh, we propose a modified red–green refinement and prove the convergence of the associated adaptive methods under a much weaker condition on the initial mesh (Condition B). Furthermore, we also develop an initial mesh generator which guarantee that all the interior triangles are equilateral triangles (satisfy Condition A) and the other triangles containing at least one vertex on the boundary satisfy Condition B.     

Mesh and solver co‐adaptation in finite element methods for anisotropic problems

Mesh generation and algebraic solver are two important aspects of the finite element methodology. In this article, we are concerned with the joint adaptation of the anisotropic triangular mesh and the iterative algebraic solver. Using generic numerical examples pertaining to the accurate and efficient finite element solution of some anisotropic problems, we hereby demonstrate that the processes of geometric mesh adaptation and the algebraic solver construction should be adapted simultaneously. We also propose some techniques applicable to the co‐adaptation of both anisotropic meshes and linear solvers. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2005     

CBS constants for multilevel splitting of graph-Laplacian and application to preconditioning of discontinuous Galerkin systems

The goal of this work is to derive and justify a multilevel preconditioner of optimal arithmetic complexity for symmetric interior penalty discontinuous Galerkin finite element approximations of second order elliptic problems. Our approach is based on the following simple idea given in [R.D. Lazarov, P.S. Vassilevski, L.T. Zikatanov, Multilevel preconditioning of second order elliptic discontinuous Galerkin problems, Preprint, 2005]. The finite element space of piece-wise polynomials, discontinuous on the partition , is projected onto the space of piece-wise constant functions on the same partition that constitutes the largest space in the multilevel method. The discontinuous Galerkin finite element system on this space is associated to the so-called “graph-Laplacian”. In 2-D this is a sparse M-matrix with -1 as off diagonal entries and nonnegative row sums. Under the assumption that the finest partition is a result of multilevel refinement of a given coarse mesh, we develop the concept of hierarchical splitting of the unknowns. Then using local analysis we derive estimates for the constants in the strengthened Cauchy–Bunyakowski–Schwarz (CBS) inequality, which are uniform with respect to the levels. This measure of the angle between the spaces of the splitting was used by Axelsson and Vassilevski in [Algebraic multilevel preconditioning methods II, SIAM J. Numer. Anal. 27 (1990) 1569–1590] to construct an algebraic multilevel iteration (AMLI) for finite element systems. The main contribution in this paper is a construction of a splitting that produces new estimates for the CBS constant for graph-Laplacian. As a result we have a preconditioner for the system of the discontinuous Galerkin finite element method of optimal arithmetic complexity.     

A new type of full multigrid method for the elasticity eigenvalue problem

This paper introduces a new type of full multigrid method for the elasticity eigenvalue problem. The main idea is to avoid solving large scale elasticity eigenvalue problem directly by transforming the solution of the elasticity eigenvalue problem into a series of solutions of linear boundary value problems defined on a multilevel finite element space sequence and some small scale elasticity eigenvalue problems defined on the coarsest correction space. The involved linear boundary value problems will be solved by performing some multigrid iterations. Besides, some efficient techniques such as parallel computing and adaptive mesh refinement can also be absorbed in our algorithm. The efficiency and validity of the multigrid methods are verified by several numerical experiments.     

Analysis of newton multilevel stabilized finite volume method for the three‐dimensional stationary Navier‐Stokes equations

This article proposes and analyzes a multilevel stabilized finite volume method(FVM) for the three‐dimensional stationary Navier–Stokes equations approximated by the lowest equal‐order finite element pairs. The method combines the new stabilized FVM with the multilevel discretization under the assumption of the uniqueness condition. The multilevel stabilized FVM consists of solving the nonlinear problem on the coarsest mesh and then performs one Newton correction step on each subsequent mesh thus only solving one large linear systems. The error analysis shows that the multilevel‐stabilized FVM provides an approximate solution with the convergence rate of the same order as the usual stabilized finite element solution solving the stationary Navier–Stokes equations on a fine mesh for an appropriate choice of mesh widths: h_j ～ h_j‐1², j = 1,…,J. Therefore, the multilevel stabilized FVM is more efficient than the standard one‐level‐stabilized FVM. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2013     

A constrained optimization approach to finite element mesh smoothing

The quality of a finite element solution has been shown to be affected by the quality of the underlying mesh. A poor mesh may lead to unstable and/or inaccurate finite element approximations. Mesh quality is often characterized by the “smoothness” or “shape” of the elements (triangles in 2-D or tetrahedra in 3-D). Most automatic mesh generators produce an initial mesh where the aspect ratio of the elements are unacceptably high. In this paper, a new approach to produce acceptable quality meshes from a topologically valid initial mesh is presented. Given an initial mesh (nodal coordinates and element connectivity), a “smooth” final mesh is obtained by solving a constrained optimization problem. The variables for the iterative optimization procedure are the nodal coordinates (excluding, the boundary nodes) of the finite element mesh, and appropriate bounds are imposed on these to prevent an unacceptable finite element mesh. Examples are given of the application of the above method for 2- and 3-D meshes generated using automatic mesh generators. Results indicate that the new method not only yields better quality elements when compared with the traditional Laplacian smoothing, but also guarantees a valid mesh unlike the Laplacian method.     

Two‐level preconditioners for serendipity finite element matrices

In this paper an approach to construct algebraic multilevel preconditioners for serendipity finite element matrices is presented. Two‐level preconditioners constructed in the paper allow to obtain multilevel preconditioners in serendipity case using multilevel preconditioners for linear finite element matrices. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical analysis of a Picard multilevel stabilization of mixed finite volume method for the 2D/3D incompressible flow with large data

In this article, we develop a branch of nonsingular solutions of a Picard multilevel stabilization of mixed finite volume method for the 2D/3D stationary Navier‐Stokes equations without relying on the unique solution condition. The method presented consists of capturing almost all information of initial problem (the nonlinear problems) on the coarsest mesh and then performs one Picard defect correction (the linear problems) on each subsequent mesh based on previous information thus only solving one large linear systems. What is more, the method presented can results in a better coefficient matrix in the model presented with small viscosity. Theoretical results show that the method presented is derived with the convergence rate of the same order as the corresponding finite volume method/finite element method solving the stationary Navier‐Stokes equations on a fine mesh. Therefore, the method presented is definitely more efficient than the standard finite volume method/finite element method. Finally, numerical experiments clearly show the efficiency of the method presented for solving the stationary Navier‐Stokes equations.© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 34: 30–50, 2018     

Algebraic multilevel preconditioning of finite element matrices using local Schur complements

We consider an algebraic multilevel preconditioning technique for SPD matrices arising from finite element discretization of elliptic PDEs. In particular, we address the case of non‐M matrices. The method is based on element agglomeration and assumes access to the individual element matrices. The left upper block of the considered multiplicative two‐level preconditioner is approximated using incomplete factorization techniques. The coarse‐grid element matrices are simply Schur complements computed from local neighbourhood matrices, i.e. small collections of element matrices. Assembling these local Schur complements results in a global Schur complement approximation that can be analysed by regarding (local) macro elements. These components, when combined in the framework of an algebraic multilevel iteration, yield a robust and efficient linear solver. The presented numerical experiments include also the Lamé differential equation for the displacements in the two‐dimensional plane‐stress elasticity problem. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Algebraic analysis of multigrid algorithms

We study the convergence rate of multilevel algorithms from an algebraic point of view. This requires a detailed analysis of the constant in the strengthened Cauchy–Schwarz inequality between the coarse‐grid space and a so‐called complementary space. This complementary space may be spanned by standard hierarchical basis functions, prewavelets or generalized prewavelets. Using generalized prewavelets, we are able to derive a constant in the strengthened Cauchy–Schwarz inequality which is less than 0.31 for the L² and H¹ bilinear form. This implies a convergence rate less than 0.15. So, we are able to prove fast multilevel convergence. Furthermore, we obtain robust estimations of the convergence rate for a large class of anisotropic ellipic equations, even for some that are not H¹‐elliptic. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An efficient algebraic multigrid method for quadratic discretizations of linear elasticity problems on some typical anisotropic meshes in three dimensions

The quality of the mesh used in the finite element discretizations will affect the efficiency of solving the discreted linear systems. The usual algebraic solvers except multigrid method do not consider the effect of the grid geometry and the mesh quality on their convergence rates. In this paper, we consider the hierarchical quadratic discretizations of three‐dimensional linear elasticity problems on some anisotropic hexahedral meshes and present a new two‐level method, which is weakly independent of the size of the resulting problems by using a special local block Gauss–Seidel smoother, that is LBGS_v iteration when used for vertex nodes or LBGS_m iteration for midside nodes. Moreover, we obtain the efficient algebraic multigrid (AMG) methods by applying DAMG (AMG based on distance matrix) or DAMG‐PCG (PCG with DAMG as a preconditioner) to the solution of the coarse level equation. The resulting AMG methods are then applied to a practical example as a long beam. The numerical results verify the efficiency and robustness of the proposed AMG algorithms. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.