A convergence condition for the quadrilateral Wilson element

Summary The paper deals with the convergence properties of the nonconforming quadrilateral wilson element which violates the patch test. The convergence of the element is proved under a certain condition on mesh subdivisions without any modifications of the variational formulation. This result extends the range of applicability of Wilson's element. The necessity of the proposed condition is also discussed.This work was written while the author was visiting the University of Frankfurt, Federal Republic of Germany, on a grant by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation     

On finite element methods for the Neumann problem

Summary The Neumann problem for a second order elliptic equation with self-adjoint operator is considered, the unique solution of which is determined from projection onto unity. Two variational formulations of this problem are studied, which have a unique solution in the whole space. Discretization is done via the finite element method based on the Ritz process, and it is proved that the discrete solutions converge to one of the solutions of the continuous problem. Comparison of the two methods is done.     

An asymptotic finite element method for improvement of solutions of boundary layer problems

Summary A scheme that uses singular perturbation theory to improve the performance of existing finite element methods is presented. The proposed scheme improves the error bounds of the standard Galerkin finite element scheme by a factor of O(ⁿ⁺¹) (where is the small parameter andn is the order of the asymptotic approximation). Numerical results for linear second order O.D.E.'s are given and are compared with several other schemes.     

A finite element lumped mass scheme for solving eigenvalue problems of circular arches

Summary This study is a continuation of a previous paper [4] in which the numerical results are given by using single precision arithmetic. In this paper, we show the numerical results which experess the sharper convergence properties than those of [4], by using double precision arithmetic.Dedicated to Prof. Masaya Yamaguti on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

A new family of stable elements for nearly incompressible elasticity based on a mixed Petrov-Galerkin finite element formulation

Summary Adding to the classical Hellinger Reissner formulation another residual form of the equilibrium equation, a new Petrov-Galerkin finite element method is derived. It fits within the framework of a mixed finite element method and is proved to be stable for rather general combinations of stress and displacement interpolations, including equal-order discontinuous stress and continuous displacement interpolations which are unstable within the Galerkin approach. Error estimates are presented using the Babuka-Brezzi theory and numerical results confirm these estimates as well as the good accuracy and stability of the method.Dedicated to Professor Ivo Babuka on the occasion of his sixtieth birthdayPrepared for the conference on: The Impact of Mathematical Analysis on the Solution of Engineering Problems. University of Maryland, September 1986.     

Compactness method in the finite element theory of nonlinear elliptic problems

Summary Finite element approximation of a nonlinear elliptic pseudomonotone second-order boundary value problem in a bounded nonpolygonal domain with mixed Dirichlet-Neumann boundary conditions is studied. In the discretization we approximate the domain by a polygonal one, use linear conforming triangular elements and evaluate integrals by numerical quadratures. We prove the solvability of the discrete problem and on the basis of compactness properties of the corresponding operator (which is not monotone in general) we prove the convergence of approximate solutions to an exact weak solutionuH ¹ ). No additional assumption on the regularity of the exact solution is needed.     

A primal hybrid finite element method for quasilinear second order elliptic problems

Summary The Robin problem for a nonlinear, second-order, elliptic equation is approximated by a primal hybrid method. Optimal order error estimates are established in various norms, with minimal regularity requirements in almost all cases.     

On the boundary element method for some nonlinear boundary value problems

Summary Here we analyse the boundary element Galerkin method for two-dimensional nonlinear boundary value problems governed by the Laplacian in an interior (or exterior) domain and by highly nonlinear boundary conditions. The underlying boundary integral operator here can be decomposed into the sum of a monotoneous Hammerstein operator and a compact mapping. We show stability and convergence by using Leray-Schauder fixed-point arguments due to Petryshyn and Neas.Using properties of the linearised equations, we can also prove quasioptimal convergence of the spline Galerkin approximations.This work was carried out while the first author was visiting the University of Stuttgart     

On the numerical approximation of finite speed diffusion problems

Summary Lagrangian formulations for the Cauchy problems for the generalized-heat and porous-media equations are introduced and equivalence and existence results discussed. Efficient interface tracking finite difference and finite element discretizations of the Lagrangian formulation are discussed. Mixed Euler-Lagrange formulations for mixed problems and the one phase Stefan problem are presented. Numerical experiments are discussed.Dedicated on the occasion of Prof. Ivo Babuka's 60th birthday     

On the construction of optimal mixed finite element methods for the linear elasticity problem

Summary The mixed finite element method for the linear elasticity problem is considered. We propose a systematic way of designing methods with optimal convergence rates for both the stress tensor and the displacement. The ideas are applied in some examples.     

On the finite volume element method

Summary The finite volume element method (FVE) is a discretization technique for partial differential equations. It uses a volume integral formulation of the problem with a finite partitioning set of volumes to discretize the equations, then restricts the admissible functions to a finite element space to discretize the solution. this paper develops discretization error estimates for general selfadjoint elliptic boundary value problems with FVE based on triangulations with linear finite element spaces and a general type of control volume. We establishO(h) estimates of the error in a discreteH ¹ semi-norm. Under an additional assumption of local uniformity of the triangulation the estimate is improved toO(h ²). Results on the effects of numerical integration are also included.This research was sponsored in part by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under grant number AFOSR-86-0126 and the National Science Foundation under grant number DMS-8704169. This work was performed while the author was at the University of Colorado at Denver     

Analysis of some low-order finite element schemes for Mindlin-Reissner and Kirchhoff plates

Summary We set up a framework for analyzing mixed finite element methods for the plate problem using a mesh dependent energy norm which applies both to the Kirchhoff and to the Mindlin-Reissner formulation of the problem. The analysis techniques are applied to some low order finite element schemes where three degrees of freedom are associated to each vertex of a triangulation of the domain. The schemes proceed from the Mindlin-Reissner formulation with modified shear energy.Dedicated to Professor Ivo Babuka on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

On the numerical treatment of viscous flows against bodies with corners and edges by boundary element and multigrid methods

Summary The slow viscous flow past a spatial body with corners and edges is investigated mathematically and numerically by means of a boundary element method. For the resulting algebraic system a multigrid solver is designed and analyzed. Due to an improved bound on the rate of convergence it proves to be preferable to that introduced earlier for related problems. A numerical example illustrates some of the proposed methods.     

Finite element approximation on incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with slip boundary condition

Summary We consider a mixed finite element approximation of the stationary, incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with slip boundary condition, which plays an important rôle in the simulation of flows with free surfaces and incompressible viscous flows at high angles of attack and high Reynold's numbers. The central point is a saddle-point formulation of the boundary conditions which avoids the well-known Babuka paradox when approximating smooth domains by polyhedrons. We prove that for the new formulation one can use any stable mixed finite element for the Navier-Stokes equations with no-slip boundary condition provided suitable bubble functions on the boundary are added to the velocity space. We obtain optimal error estimates under minimal regularity assumptions for the solution of the continous problem. The techniques apply as well to the more general Navier boundary condition.     

Pointwise error estimates for a streamline diffusion finite element scheme

Summary Pointwise error estimates for a streamline diffusion scheme for solving a model convection-dominated singularly perturbed convection-diffusion problem are given. These estimates improve pointwise error estimates obtained by Johnson et al.[5].     

Convergence of the nonconforming Wilson element for arbitrary quadrilateral meshes

Summary A modified variational formulation, recently introduced by Taylor, Beresford and Wilson for solving second order problems, using the nonconforming Wilson element is here analysed. It is shown that the Patch Test is satisfied and that stresses and displacements are respectively first and second order accurate for arbitrary quadrilateral meshes.     

Convergence of mixed finite element approximations for the shallow arch problem

Summary The stability and convergence of mixed finite element methods are investigated, for an equilibrium problem for thin shallow elastic arches. The problem in its standard form contains two terms, corresponding to the contributions from the shear and axial strains, with a small parameter. Lagrange multipliers are introduced, to formulate the problem in an alternative mixed form. Questions of existence and uniqueness of solutions to the standard and mixed problems are addressed. It is shown that finite element approximations of the mixed problem are stable and convergent. Reduced integration formulations are equivalent to a mixed formulation which in general is distinct from the formulation shown to be stable and convergent, except when the order of polynomial interpolationt of the arch shape satisfies 1tmin (2,r) wherer is the order of polynomial approximation of the unknown variables.     

On the asymptotic exactness of error estimators for linear triangular finite elements

Summary This paper deals with a-posteriori error estimates for piecewise linear finite element approximations of elliptic problems. We analyze two estimators based on recovery operators for the gradient of the approximate solution. By using superconvergence results we prove their asymptotic exactness under regularity assumptions on the mesh and the solution.One of the estimators can be easily computed in terms of the jumps of the gradient of the finite element approximation. This estimator is equivalent to the error in the energy norm under rather general conditions. However, we show that for the asymptotic exactness, the regularity assumption on the mesh is not merely technical. While doing this, we analyze the relation between superconvergence and asymptotic exactness for some particular examples.     

Second-order finite element approximations and a posteriori error estimation for two-dimensional parabolic systems

Summary We discuss an adaptive local refinement finite element method of lines for solving vector systems of parabolic partial differential equations on two-dimensional rectangular regions. The partial differential system is discretized in space using a Galerkin approach with piecewise eight-node serendipity functions. An a posteriori estimate of the spatial discretization error of the finite element solution is obtained using piecewise fifth degree polynomials that vanish on the edges of the rectangular elements of a grid. Ordinary differential equations for the finite element solution and error estimate are integrated in time using software for stiff differential systems. The error estimate is used to control a local spatial mesh refinement procedure in an attempt to keep a global measure of the error within prescribed limits. Examples appraising the accuracy of the solution and error estimate and the computational efficiency of the procedure relative to one using bilinear finite elements are presented.Dedicated to Prof. Ivo Babuka on the occasion of his 60th birthdayThis research was partially supported by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Air Force Systems Command, USAF, under Grant Number AFOSR 85-0156 and the U.S. Army Research Office under Contract Number DAAL 03-86-K-0112     

Mixed finite element approximation of the vector potential

Summary We consider a mixed finite element approximation of the three dimensional vector potential, which plays an important rôle in the simulation of perfect fluids and in the calculation of rotational corrections to transonic potential flows. The central point of our approach is a saddlepoint formulation of the essential boundary conditions. In particular, this avoids the wellknown Babuka paradox when approximating smooth domains by polyhedrons. Using piecewise linear/piecewise constant elements for the vector potential/the boundary terms, we obtain optimal error estimates under minimal regularity assumptions for the solution of the continuous problem.