Coupling of mixed finite elements and boundary elements

The symmetric coupling of mixed finite element and boundaryelement methods is analysed for a model interface problem withthe Laplacian. The coupling involves a further continuous ansatzfunction on the interface to link the discontinuous displacementfield to the necessarily continuous boundary ansatz function.Quasi-optimal a priori error estimates and sharp a posteriorierror estimates are established which justify adaptive mesh-refiningalgorithms. Numerical experiments prove the adaptive couplingas an efficient tool for the numerical treatment of transmissionproblems.     

Hybrid stress analysis of boundary and finite elements by a super-element method

This paper is concerned with the hybrid method of boundary element and finite element techniques by means of an “external-super-element” function of the commercial finite element method code . The proposed super-element method preserves the modelling simplicity of the boundary element method and the generality of . Two- and three-dimensional elastostatic analyses are performed to demonstrate the accuracy of this method as well as its applicability to practical problems.     

Primal-dual variational problems by boundary and finite elements

In this paper the primal-dual (or mixed) formulation is studied for self-adjoint elliptic problems coupled with a boundary integral equation. It is shown that, after introducing a suitable complementary variational principle, the problem is reduced to finding a stationarity point of a constrained functional. Some numerical examples are reported for a second-order differential equation on unbounded domains.     

A nodal coupling of finite and boundary elements

This article presents and analyzes a simple method for the exterior Laplace equation through the coupling of finite and boundary element methods. The main novelty is the use of a smooth parametric artificial boundary where boundary elements fit without effort together with a straight approximate triangulation in the bounded area, with the coupling done only in nodes. A numerically integrated version of the algorithm is also analyzed. Finally, an isoparametric variant with higher order is proposed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 19: 555–570, 2003     

On the symmetric boundary element method and the symmetric coupling of boundary elements and finite elements

The finite element method and the boundary element method areamong the most frequently applied tools in the numerical treatmentof partial differential equations. However, their propertiesappear to be complementary: while the boundary element methodis appropriate for the most important linear partial differentialequations with constant coefficients in bounded or unboundeddomains, the finite element method seems to be more appropriatefor inhomogeneous or even nonlinear problems. but is somehowrestricted to bounded domains. The symmetric coupling of thetwo methods inherits the advantages of both methods. This paper treats the symmetric coupling of finite elementsand boundary elements for a model transmission problem in twoand three dimensions where we have two domains: a bounded domainwith nonlinear, even plastic material behaviour, is surroundedby an unbounded, exterior, domain with isotropic homogeneouslinear elastic material. Practically. the coupling is performedsuch that the boundary element method contributes a macro-element,like a large finite element, within a standard finite elementanalysis program. Emphasis is on two-dimensional problems wherethe approach using the Poincaré-Steklov operator seemsto be impossible at first glance. E-mail: cc{at}numerik.uni-kiel.de     

Adaptive coupling of boundary elements and mixed finite elements for incompressible elasticity

The coupling of finite elements and boundary elements is analyzed, where in the FEM domain we assume an incompressible elastic material governed by a uniformly monotone operator and use a Stokes‐type mixed FEM. In the BEM domain, linear elasticity is considered. We prove existence and uniqueness of the solution and quasi‐optimal convergence of a Galerkin method. We derive an a posteriori error estimator of explicit residual type. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 17: 79–92, 2001     

The coupling method of finite elements and boundary elements for radiation problem

The paper presents the variational formulation and well posedness of the coupling method of finite elements and boundary elements for radiation problem. The convergence and optimal error estimate for the approximate solution and numerical experiment are provided.This research was supported in part by the Institute for Mathematics and its applications with funds provided by NSF, USA.     

L 2 error estimates for finite elements with interpolated boundary conditions

Summary TheL ² error in the nearly zero quadratic approximate solution to Poisson's equation is shown to be of optimal order. The same method of proof can be used to show that theL ² error with a space of cubics developed by Ridgway Scott is optimal.This work was supported by the Office of Naval Research under Contract Number ONR NR-044-453 and by the Naval Ordnance Laboratory Independent Research Fund.     

Implicit residual error estimators for the coupling of finite elements and boundary elements

We consider a symmetric Galerkin method for the coupling of finite elements and boundary elements for elliptic problems with a monotone operator in the finite element domain. We derive an a posteriori error estimator which involves the solution of equilibrated local Neumann problems in the finite element domain and requires computation of a residual term on the coupling interface. Finally, we discuss a similar approach for a coupling with Signorini contact conditions on the interface. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Symmetric coupling of boundary elements and Raviart–Thomas-type mixed finite elements in elastostatics

Summary. Both mixed finite element methods and boundary integral methods are important tools in computational mechanics according to a good stress approximation. Recently, even low order mixed methods of Raviart–Thomas-type became available for problems in elasticity. Since either methods are robust for critical Poisson ratios, it appears natural to couple the two methods as proposed in this paper. The symmetric coupling changes the elliptic part of the bilinear form only. Hence the convergence analysis of mixed finite element methods is applicable to the coupled problem as well. Specifically, we couple boundary elements with a family of mixed elements analyzed by Stenberg. The locking-free implementation is performed via Lagrange multipliers, numerical examples are included. Received February 21, 1995 / Revised version received December 21, 1995     

Optimal preconditioning for the symmetric and nonsymmetric coupling of adaptive finite elements and boundary elements

We analyze a multilevel diagonal additive Schwarz preconditioner for the adaptive coupling of FEM and BEM for a linear 2D Laplace transmission problem. We rigorously prove that the condition number of the preconditioned system stays uniformly bounded, independently of the refinement level and the local mesh‐size of the underlying adaptively refined triangulations. Although the focus is on the nonsymmetric Johnson–Nédélec one‐equation coupling, the principle ideas also apply to other formulations like the symmetric FEM‐BEM coupling. Numerical experiments underline our theoretical findings. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 33: 603–632, 2017     

SDFEM with non-standard higher-order finite elements for a convection-diffusion problem with characteristic boundary layers

Considering a singularly perturbed problem with exponential and characteristic layers, we show convergence for non-standard higher-order finite elements using the streamline diffusion finite element method (SDFEM). Moreover, for the standard higher-order space Q_p\mathcal {Q}_{p} supercloseness of the numerical solution w.r.t. an interpolation of the exact solution in the streamline diffusion norm of order p+1/2 is proved.     

Symmetric coupling of finite and boundary elements for exterior magnetic field problems

We consider a coupled finite element (fe)–boundary element (be) approach for three‐dimensional magnetic field problems. The formulation is based on a vector potential in a bounded domain (fe) and a scalar potential in an unbounded domain (be). We describe a coupled variational problem yielding a unique solution where the constraints in the trial spaces are replaced by appropriate side conditions. Then we discuss a Galerkin discretization of the coupled problem and prove a quasi‐optimal error estimate. Finally we discuss an efficient preconditioned iterative solution strategy for the resulting linear system. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Coupled multiscale finite element analysis of shell structures

In this paper, a coupled two-scale shell model is presented. A variational formulation and associated linearisation for the coupled global-local boundary value problem is derived. The discretisation of the shell is performed with quadrilaterals, whereas the local boundary value problems at the integration points of the shell are discretised using 8-noded or 27-noded brick elements, or solid shell elements. The coupled boundary value problem is simultaneously solved within a Newton iteration scheme. Solutions for small strain problems are computed within the so-called FE² method. In an important test, the correct material matrix for the stress resultants assuming linear elasticity and a homogeneous continuum is verified. Examples show that the developed two-scale model is able to analyse the global and local mechanical behaviour of heterogeneous shell structures. (© 2012 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Groups with finite rank elements

With the aid of the notion of the rank of an element in an arbitrary group, we prove a criterion for an infinite group to be nonsimple and find conditions under which a q-biprimitively finite group G with Chernikov Sylow q-subgroups has a Chernikov quotient group G/O_p(G).Translated from Ukrainskii Matematicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 44, No. 6, pp. 836–839, June, 1992.     

All-electron calculations with finite elements

The Kohn-Sham equations resemble a nonlinear eigenvalue problem for the determination of the electronic structure of an atomic system, where the electrons are exposed to an effective potential, accounting for the Coulomb and quantum mechanical interactions between the particles. The effectiveness of the potential requires an iterative solution procedure, until self-consistency is reached. This work illustrates the implementation of the self consistent field algorithm based on nested finite elements spaces and analyzes its properties in the case of all-electron calculations on atoms as large as the noble gas Xenon. All-electron calculations have maximal requirements onto the numerical basis, as it must be able to represent all the orthogonal electronic wavefunctions simultaneously together with the electrostatic potential, showing singularities at the positions of the atoms. (© 2012 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)