On computing the pressure by thep version of the finite element method for Stokes problem

Summary This paper introduces and analyzes two ways of extracting the hydrostatic pressure when solving Stokes problem using thep version of the finite element method. When one uses a localH ¹ projection, we show that optimal rates of convergence for the pressure approximation is achieved. When the pressure is not inH ¹. or the value of the pressure is only needed at a few points, one may extract the pressure pointwise using e.g. a single layer potential recovery. Negative, zero, and higher norm estimates for the Stokes velocity are derived within the framework of thep version of the F.E.M.Partially supported by ONR grants N00014-87-K-0427 and N00014-90-J-1238     

Guaranteed and robust discontinuous Galerkin a posteriori error estimates for convection-diffusion-reaction problems

We propose and study a posteriori error estimates for convection-diffusion-reaction problems with inhomogeneous and anisotropic diffusion approximated by weighted interior-penalty discontinuous Galerkin methods. Our twofold objective is to derive estimates without undetermined constants and to analyze carefully the robustness of the estimates in singularly perturbed regimes due to dominant convection or reaction. We first derive locally computable estimates for the error measured in the energy (semi)norm. These estimates are evaluated using -conforming diffusive and convective flux reconstructions, thereby extending the previous work on pure diffusion problems. The resulting estimates are semi-robust in the sense that local lower error bounds can be derived using suitable cutoff functions of the local Péclet and Damköhler numbers. Fully robust estimates are obtained for the error measured in an augmented norm consisting of the energy (semi)norm, a dual norm of the skew-symmetric part of the differential operator, and a suitable contribution of the interelement jumps of the discrete solution. Numerical experiments are presented to illustrate the theoretical results.     

Error analysis of upwind‐discretizations for the steady‐state incompressible Navier–Stokes equations

Within the framework of finite element methods, the paper investigates a general approximation technique for the nonlinear convective term of the Navier–Stokes equations. The approach is based on an upwind method of finite volume type. It is proved that the discrete convective term satisfies a well‐known collection of sufficient conditions for convergence of the finite element solution. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Numerical solution of the time-dependent incompressible Navier–Stokes equations by piecewise linear finite elements

In this paper we present a new method to solve the 2D generalized Stokes problem in terms of the stream function and the vorticity. Such problem results, for instance, from the discretization of the evolutionary Stokes system. The difficulty arising from the lack of the boundary conditions for the vorticity is overcome by means of a suitable technique for uncoupling both variables. In order to apply the above technique to the Navier–Stokes equations we linearize the advective term in the vorticity transport equation as described in the development of the paper. We illustrate the good performance of our approach by means of numerical results, obtained for benchmark driven cavity problem solved with classical piecewise linear finite element.     

Local and parallel finite element algorithms for the stokes problem

Based on two-grid discretizations, some local and parallel finite element algorithms for the Stokes problem are proposed and analyzed in this paper. These algorithms are motivated by the observation that for a solution to the Stokes problem, low frequency components can be approximated well by a relatively coarse grid and high frequency components can be computed on a fine grid by some local and parallel procedure. One technical tool for the analysis is some local a priori estimates that are also obtained in this paper for the finite element solutions on general shape-regular grids. Y. He was partially subsidized by the NSF of China 10671154 and the National Basic Research Program under the grant 2005CB321703; A. Zhou was partially supported by the National Science Foundation of China under the grant 10425105 and the National Basic Research Program under the grant 2005CB321704; J. Li was partially supported by the NSF of China under the grant 10701001. J. Xu was partially supported by Alexander von Humboldt Research Award for Senior US Scientists, NSF DMS-0609727 and NSFC-10528102.     

A Petrov-Galerkin method for solving the generalized equal width (GEW) equation

The generalized equal width (GEW) equation is solved numerically by the Petrov-Galerkin method using a linear hat function as the test function and a quadratic B-spline function as the trial function. Product approximation has been used in this method. A linear stability analysis of the scheme shows it to be conditionally stable. Test problems including the single soliton and the interaction of solitons are used to validate the suggested method, which is found to be accurate and efficient. Finally, the Maxwellian initial condition pulse is studied.     

Tuning the mesh of a mixed method for the stream function Vorticity formulation of the Navier-Stokes equations

Summary In this article we study a new mixed method for the Stokes and Navier-Stokes equations. The method uses two meshes, one very fine for and a coarser one for . Error estimates show that boundary layers do not require to refine the mesh for the stream function as much as for the vorticity when the Reynolds number is large. We prove estimates and study implementation problems.     

The L.P.D.E.M., a mixed finite difference method for elliptic problems

Summary A mixed finite difference method is analyzed for solving certain elliptic problems. This method, called L.P.D.E.M. (Locally exact Partial Differential Equation Method) was initially proposed in the frame of hydrodynamic lubrication. Convergence is obtained. Relations between this scheme and homogenization theory are also discussed. For a one-dimensional elliptic equation with no zero-order term and in conservative form, this method is an exact one. Some numerical results will also be given.     

A framework for obtaining guaranteed error bounds for finite element approximations

We give an overview of our recent progress in developing a framework for the derivation of fully computable guaranteed posteriori error bounds for finite element approximation including conforming, non-conforming, mixed and discontinuous finite element schemes. Whilst the details of the actual estimator are rather different for each particular scheme, there is nonetheless a common underlying structure at work in all cases. We aim to illustrate this structure by treating conforming, non-conforming and discontinuous finite element schemes in a single framework. In taking a rather general viewpoint, some of the finer details of the analysis that rely on the specific properties of each particular scheme are obscured but, in return, we hope to allow the reader to ‘see the wood despite the trees’.     

Robustness in a posteriori error analysis for FEM flow models

Summary. We derive a residual-based a posteriori error estimator for a stabilized finite element discretization of certain incompressible Oseen-like equations. We focus our attention on the behaviour of the effectivity index and we carry on a numerical study of its sensitiveness to the problem and mesh parameters. We also consider a scalar reaction-convection-diffusion problem and a divergence-free projection problem in order to investigate the effects on the robustness of our a posteriori error estimator of the reaction-convection-diffusion phenomena and, separately, of the incompressibility constraint. Received March 21, 2001 / Revised version received July 30, 2001 / Published online October 17, 2001     

Continuous interior penalty finite element method for the time-dependent Navier–Stokes equations: space discretization and convergence

This paper focuses on the numerical analysis of a finite element method with stabilization for the unsteady incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. Incompressibility and convective effects are both stabilized adding an interior penalty term giving L ²-control of the jump of the gradient of the approximate solution over the internal faces. Using continuous equal-order finite elements for both velocities and pressures, in a space semi-discretized formulation, we prove convergence of the approximate solution. The error estimates hold irrespective of the Reynolds number, and hence also for the incompressible Euler equations, provided the exact solution is smooth.     

A posteriori error estimators for the Stokes equations

Summary We present two a posteriori error estimators for the mini-element discretization of the Stokes equations. One is based on a suitable evaluation of the residual of the finite element solution. The other one is based on the solution of suitable local Stokes problems involving the residual of the finite element solution. Both estimators are globally upper and locally lower bounds for the error of the finite element discretization. Numerical examples show their efficiency both in estimating the error and in controlling an automatic, self-adaptive mesh-refinement process. The methods presented here can easily be generalized to the Navier-Stokes equations and to other discretization schemes.This work was accomplished at the Universität Heidelberg with the support of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft     

Galerkin and subspace decomposition methods in space and time for the Navier-Stokes equations

The Galerkin method and the subspace decomposition method in space and time for the two-dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with the H²-initial data are considered. The subspace decomposition method consists of splitting the approximate solution as the sum of a low frequency component discretized by the small time step Δt and a high frequency one discretized by the large time step pΔt with p>1. The H²-stability and L²-error analysis for the subspace decomposition method are obtained. Finally, some numerical tests to confirm the theoretical results are provided.     

Stabilized discontinuous finite element approximations for Stokes equations

In this paper, we derive two stabilized discontinuous finite element formulations, symmetric and nonsymmetric, for the Stokes equations and the equations of the linear elasticity for almost incompressible materials. These methods are derived via stabilization of a saddle point system where the continuity of the normal and tangential components of the velocity/displacements are imposed in a weak sense via Lagrange multipliers. For both methods, almost all reasonable pair of discontinuous finite element spaces can be used to approximate the velocity and the pressure. Optimal error estimate for the approximation of both the velocity of the symmetric formulation and pressure in L²$L^2$ norm are obtained, as well as one in a mesh-dependent norm for the velocity in both symmetric and nonsymmetric formulations.     

The finite volume method based on stabilized finite element for the stationary Navier–Stokes problem

A finite volume method based on stabilized finite element for the two-dimensional stationary Navier–Stokes equations is investigated in this work. A macroelement condition is introduced for constructing the local stabilized formulation for the problem. We obtain the well-posedness of the FVM based on stabilized finite element for the stationary Navier–Stokes equations. Moreover, for quadrilateral and triangular partition, the optimal H¹$H^1$ error estimate of the finite volume solution _uh$u_h$ and L²$L^2$ error estimate for _ph$p_h$ are introduced. Finally, we provide a numerical example to confirm the efficiency of the FVM.     

A stabilized finite element method based on two local Gauss integrations for the Stokes equations

This paper considers a stabilized method based on the difference between a consistent and an under-integrated mass matrix of the pressure for the Stokes equations approximated by the lowest equal-order finite element pairs (i.e., the _P1$P_1$–_P1$P_1$ and _Q1$Q_1$–_Q1$Q_1$ pairs). This method only offsets the discrete pressure space by the residual of the simple and symmetry term at element level in order to circumvent the inf–sup condition. Optimal error estimates are obtained by applying the standard Galerkin technique. Finally, the numerical illustrations agree completely with the theoretical expectations.     

A local superconvergence analysis of the finite element method for the Stokes equations by local projections

In this paper, we focus on a local superconvergence analysis of the finite element method for the Stokes equations by local projections. The local and global superconvergence results of finite element solutions are provided for the Stokes problem under some corresponding regularity assumptions. Conclusion can be drawn that the local superconvergence has advantages over the global superconvergence in two important aspects. On the one hand, it offsets theoretical limitation in practical applications. On the other hand, interior estimates are derived on the base of local properties of the domain without global smoothness for the exact solution and prior regularity of the problem globally over the whole domain.     

On the Discrete Friedrichs Inequality for Nonconforming Finite Elements

In this paper we establish the validity of the discrete Friedrichs inequality for piecewise linear Crouzeix-Raviart nonconforming finite elements in polygonal domains. It represents an extension of an important result proven for a polygonal convex domain to a general polygonal nonconvex domain. This result has applications in the analysis of exterior approximations of partial differential equations as, e.g., the Navier-Stokes equations and convection-diffusion problems.