Schwarz methods for inequalities with contraction operators

We prove the convergence of some multiplicative and additive Schwarz methods for inequalities which contain contraction operators. The problem is stated in a reflexive Banach space and it generalizes the well-known fixed-point problem in the Hilbert spaces. Error estimation theorems are given for three multiplicative algorithms and two additive algorithms. We show that these algorithms are in fact Schwarz methods if the subspaces are associated with a decomposition of the domain. Also, for the one- and two-level methods in the finite element spaces, we write the convergence rates as functions of the overlapping and mesh parameters. They are similar with the convergence rates of these methods for linear problems. Besides the direct use of the five algorithms for the inequalities with contraction operators, we can use the above results to obtain the convergence rate of the Schwarz method for other types of inequalities or nonlinear equations. In this way, we prove the convergence and estimate the error of the one- and two-level Schwarz methods for some inequalities in Hilbert spaces which are not of the variational type, and also, for the Navier–Stokes problem. Finally, we give conditions of existence and uniqueness of the solution for all problems we consider. We point out that these conditions and the convergence conditions of the proposed algorithms are of the same type.     

Numerical analysis of the primal problem of elastoplasticity with hardening

Summary. The finite element method is a reasonable and frequently utilised tool for the spatial discretization within one time-step in an elastoplastic evolution problem. In this paper, we analyse the finite element discretization and prove a priori and a posteriori error estimates for variational inequalities corresponding to the primal formulation of (Hencky) plasticity. The finite element method of lowest order consists in minimising a convex function on a subspace of continuous piecewise linear resp. piecewise constant trial functions. An a priori error estimate is established for the fully-discrete method which shows linear convergence as the mesh-size tends to zero, provided the exact displacement field u is smooth. Near the boundary of the plastic domain, which is unknown a priori, it is most likely that u is non-smooth. In this situation, automatic mesh-refinement strategies are believed to improve the quality of the finite element approximation. We suggest such an adaptive algorithm on the basis of a computable a posteriori error estimate. This estimate is reliable and efficient in the sense that the quotient of the error by the estimate and its inverse are bounded from above. The constants depend on the hardening involved and become larger for decreasing hardening. Received May 7, 1997 / Revised version received August 31, 1998     

Multivariate approximation by PDE splines

This work deals with an approximation method for multivariate functions from data constituted by a given data point set and a partial differential equation (PDE). The solution of our problem is called a PDE spline. We establish a variational characterization of the PDE spline and a convergence result of it to the function which the data are obtained. We estimate the order of the approximation error and finally, we present an example to illustrate the fitting method.     

A Boundary Element Approximation of a Signorini Problem with Friction Obeying Coulomb Law

In this work, a Signorini problem with Coulomb friction in two dimensional elasticity is considered. Based on a new representation of the derivative of the double-layer potential, the original problem is reduced to a system of variational inequalities on the boundary of the given domain. The existence and uniqueess of this system are established for a small frictional coefficient. The boundary element approximation of this system is presented and an error estimate is given.     

A coupling of FEM-BEM for a kind of Signorini contact problem

In this paper, we consider a kind of coupled nonlinear problem with Signorini contact conditions. To solve this problem, we discuss a new coupling of finite element and boundary element by adding an auxiliary circle. We first derive an asymptotic error estimate of the approximation to the coupled FEM-BEM variational inequality. Then we design an iterative method for solving the coupled system, in which only three standard subproblems without involving any boundary integral equation are solved. It will be shown that the convergence speed of this iteration method is independent of the mesh size.     

A boundary element method for Signorini problems in three dimensions

Summary In this paper, a Signorini problem in three dimensions is reduced to a variational inequality on the boundary, and a boundary element method is described for the numerical approximation of its solution; an optimal error estimate is also given.This work is supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and by the Royal Society of London     

A Strongly Convergent Combined Relaxation Method in Hilbert Spaces

We consider a combined relaxation method for variational inequalities in a Hilbert space setting. Methods of this class are known to solve finite-dimensional variational inequalities under mild monotonicity type assumptions, whereas in Hilbert space strong monotonicity is the standard assumption for strong convergence. Here, we relax this condition and show strong convergence of such a method, when strong monotonicity holds only on a subspace of finite co-dimension. Thus, the method applies to semi-coercive unilateral boundary value problems in mathematical physics.     

A p-version finite element method for nonlinear elliptic variational inequalities in 2D

This article introduces and analyzes a p-version FEM for variational inequalities resulting from obstacle problems for some quasi-linear elliptic partial differential operators. We approximate the solution by controlling the obstacle condition in images of the Gauss–Lobatto points. We show existence and uniqueness for the discrete solution u _p from the p-version for the obstacle problem. We prove the convergence of u _p towards the solution with respect to the energy norm, and assuming some additional regularity for the solution we derive an a priori error estimate. In numerical experiments the p-version turns out to be superior to the h-version concerning the convergence rate and the number of unknowns needed to achieve a certain exactness of the approximation.     

NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF A CONTACT PROBLEM IN RATE-TYPE VISCOPLASTICITY

In this paper, we consider numerical approximations of a contact problem in rate-type viscoplasticity. The contact conditions are described in term of a subdifferential and include as special cases some classical frictionless boundary conditions. The contact problem consists of an evolution equation coupled with a time-dependent variational inequality. Error estimates for both spatially semi-discrete and fully discrete solutions are derived and some convergence results are shown. Under appropriate regularity assumptions on the exact solution, error estimates are obtained.     

Convergence analysis of a hp-finite element approximation of the time-harmonic Maxwell equations with impedance boundary conditions in domains with an analytic boundary

We consider a nonconforming hp -finite element approximation of a variational formulation of the time-harmonic Maxwell equations with impedance boundary conditions proposed by Costabel et al. The advantages of this formulation is that the variational space is embedded in H¹ as soon as the boundary is smooth enough (in particular it holds for domains with an analytic boundary) and standard shift theorem can be applied since the associated boundary value problem is elliptic. Finally in order to perform a wavenumber explicit error analysis of our problem, a splitting lemma and an estimation of the adjoint approximation quantity are proved by adapting to our system the results from Melenk and Sauter obtained for the Helmholtz equation. Some numerical tests that illustrate our theoretical results are also presented. Analytic regularity results with bounds explicit in the wavenumber of the solution of a general elliptic system with lower order terms depending on the wavenumber are needed and hence proved.     

On the coupled BEM and FEM for a nonlinear exterior Dirichlet problem in R2

Summary In this paper we apply the coupling of boundary integral and finite element methods to solve a nonlinear exterior Dirichlet problem in the plane. Specifically, the boundary value problem consists of a nonlinear second order elliptic equation in divergence form in a bounded inner region, and the Laplace equation in the corresponding unbounded exterior region, in addition to appropriate boundary and transmission conditions. The main feature of the coupling method utilized here consists in the reduction of the nonlinear exterior boundary value problem to an equivalent monotone operator equation. We provide sufficient conditions for the coefficients of the nonlinear elliptic equation from which existence, uniqueness and approximation results are established. Then, we consider the case where the corresponding operator is strongly monotone and Lipschitz-continuous, and derive asymptotic error estimates for a boundary-finite element solution. We prove the unique solvability of the discrete operator equations, and based on a Strang type abstract error estimate, we show the strong convergence of the approximated solutions. Moreover, under additional regularity assumptions on the solution of the continous operator equation, the asymptotic rate of convergenceO (h) is obtained.The first author's research was partly supported by the U.S. Army Research Office through the Mathematical Science Institute of Cornell University, by the Universidad de Concepción through the Facultad de Ciencias, Dirección de Investigación and Vicerretoria, and by FONDECYT-Chile through Project 91-386.     

Hilbert空间中的广义松弛上强制变分不等式组

主要利用三步投影方法模型讨论了带误差估计的广义非线性上强制变分不等式组的逼近解及其收敛性,所得到结果推广和改进了一系列最新结果.     

Convergence analysis of a conforming adaptive finite element method for an obstacle problem

The adaptive algorithm for the obstacle problem presented in this paper relies on the jump residual contributions of a standard explicit residual-based a posteriori error estimator. Each cycle of the adaptive loop consists of the steps ‘SOLVE’, ‘ESTIMATE’, ‘MARK’, and ‘REFINE’. The techniques from the unrestricted variational problem are modified for the convergence analysis to overcome the lack of Galerkin orthogonality. We establish R-linear convergence of the part of the energy above its minimal value, if there is appropriate control of the data oscillations. Surprisingly, the adaptive mesh-refinement algorithm is the same as in the unconstrained case of a linear PDE—in fact, there is no modification near the discrete free boundary necessary for R-linear convergence. The arguments are presented for a model obstacle problem with an affine obstacle χ and homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions. The proof of the discrete local efficiency is more involved than in the unconstrained case. Numerical results are given to illustrate the performance of the error estimator.     

Semi-discrete stabilized finite element methods for Navier–Stokes equations with nonlinear slip boundary conditions based on regularization procedure

Based on the pressure projection stabilized methods, the semi-discrete finite element approximation to the time-dependent Navier–Stokes equations with nonlinear slip boundary conditions is considered in this paper. Because this class of boundary condition includes the subdifferential property, then the variational formulation is the Navier–Stokes type variational inequality problem. Using the regularization procedure, we obtain a regularized problem and give the error estimate between the solutions of the variational inequality problem and the regularized problem with respect to the regularized parameter \({\varepsilon}\), which means that the solution of the regularized problem converges to the solution of the Navier–Stokes type variational inequality problem as the parameter \({\varepsilon\longrightarrow 0}\). Moreover, some regularized estimates about the solution of the regularized problem are also derived under some assumptions about the physical data. The pressure projection stabilized finite element methods are used to the regularized problem and some optimal error estimates of the finite element approximation solutions are derived.     

On the p-version approximation in the boundary element method for a variational inequality of the second kind modelling unilateral contact and given friction

In this paper we complement recent work of Maischak and Stephan on adaptive hp-versions of the BEM for unilateral Signorini problems, respectively on FEM-BEM coupling in its h-version for a nonlinear transmission problem modelling Coulomb friction contact. Here we focus on the boundary element method in its p-version to treat a scalar variational inequality of the second kind that models unilateral contact and Coulomb friction in elasticity together. This leads to a nonconforming discretization scheme. In contrast to the work cited above and to a related paper of Guediri on a boundary variational inequality of the second kind modelling friction we take the quadrature error of the friction functional into account of the error analysis. At first without any regularity assumptions, we prove convergence of the BEM Galerkin approximation in the energy norm. Then under mild regularity assumptions, we establish an a priori error estimate that is based on a novel Céa–Falk lemma for abstract variational inequalities of the second kind.     

Convergence of a finite element scheme for the two-dimensional time-dependent Schrödinger equation in a long strip

This paper addresses the finite element method for the two-dimensional time-dependent Schrödinger equation on an infinite strip by using artificial boundary conditions. We first reduce the original problem into an initial-boundary value problem in a bounded domain by introducing a transparent boundary condition, then fully discretize this reduced problem by applying the Crank-Nicolson scheme in time and a bilinear or quadratic finite element approximation in space. This scheme, by a rigorous analysis, has been proved to be unconditionally stable and convergent, and its convergence order has also been obtained. Finally, two numerical examples are given to verify the accuracy of the scheme.     

Cea's error estimate for strongly monotone variational inequalities

Céa's approximation lemma is extended to variational inequalities which are defined by strongly monotone operators in closed convex subsets of linear normed spaces. This abstract error estimate is applied to the finite element discretization of a nonlinear elliptic two-sided obstacle problem providing an asymptotic error estimate for a smooth enough solution.     

On the approximation of nonlinear singular self-adjoint second order boundary value problems

We investigate the approximation of the solutions of a class of nonlinear second order singular boundary value problems with a self-adjoint linear part. Our strategy involves two ingredients. First, we take advantage of certain boundary condition functions to obtain well behaved functions of the solutions. Second, we integrate the problem over an interval that avoids the singularity. We are able to prove a uniform convergence result for the approximate solutions. We describe how the approximation is constructed for the various values of the deficiency index associated with the differential equation. The solution of the nonlinear problem is obtained by a globally convergent iterative method.     

On the boundary element method for the Signorini problem of the Laplacian

Summary For the Laplace equation with Signorini boundary conditions two equivalent boundary variational inequality formulations are deduced. We investigate the discretization by a boundary element Galerkin method and obtain quasi-optimal asymptotic error estimates in the underlying Sobolev spaces. An algorithm based on the decomposition-coordination method is used to solve the discretized problems. Numerical examples confirm the predicted rate of convergence.     

A class of random variational inequalities and simple random unilateral boundary value problems - existence,discretization, finite element approximation

The paper deals with a class of random variational inequalities and simple random elliptic boundary value problems with unilateral conditions. Here randomness enters in the coefficient of the elliptic operator and in the right hand side of the p.d.e. In addition to existence and uniqueness results a theory of combined probabilistic deterministic discretization is developped that includes nonconforming approxima¬tion of unilateral constraints. Without any regularity assumptions on the solution, norm convergence of the full approximation process is established. The theory is applied to a Helmholtz like elliptic equation with Signorini boundary conditions as a simple model problem, where Galerkin discretization is realized by finite element approximation