Finite Element Approximation of a Rigid Punch Indenting a Membrane

Optimal order H¹ and L error bounds are obtained for a continuouspiecewise linear finite element approximation of an obstacleproblem, where the obstacle's height as well as the contactzone, _c, are a priori unknown. The problem models the indentationof a membrane by a rigid punch. For R², given ,g R⁺ and an obstacle defined over E we consider the minimization of |v|²_1,+gµover (v, µ) H¹₀() x R subject to v+µ on E. In additionwe show under certain nondegeneracy conditions that dist (_c,^h_c)Ch ln 1/h, where ^h_c is the finite element approximation to_c. Finally we show that the resulting algebraic problem canbe solved using a projected SOR algorithm.     

Discontinuous Galerkin finite element approximation of quasilinear elliptic boundary value problems I: the scalar case

^** Email: Paul.Houston{at}mcs.le.ac.uk^*** Email: Janice.Robson{at}comlab.ox.ac.uk^**** Email: Endre.Suli{at}comlab.ox.ac.uk We develop a one-parameter family of hp-version discontinuousGalerkin finite element methods, parameterised by [–1,1], for the numerical solution of quasilinear elliptic equationsin divergence form on a bounded open set ^d, d 2. In particular,we consider the analysis of the family for the equation –·{µ(x, |u|)u} = f(x) subject to mixed Dirichlet–Neumannboundary conditions on . It is assumed that µ is a real-valuedfunction, µ C( x [0, )), and thereexist positive constants m_µ and M_µ such that m_µ(t– s) µ(x, t)t – µ(x, s)s M_µ(t– s) for t s 0 and all x . Using a result from the theory of monotone operators for any valueof [–1, 1], the corresponding method is shown to havea unique solution u_DG in the finite element space. If u C¹() H^k(), k 2, then with discontinuous piecewise polynomials ofdegree p 1, the error between u and u_DG, measured in the brokenH¹()-norm, is (h^s–1/p^k–3/2), where 1 s min {p+ 1, k}.     

Error Bounds for Hermite Interpolation by Quadratic Splines on an {alpha}-Triangulation

For l, an -triangulation F of a planar domain is such that,for every T F, there holds 1 R_T/2r_T , where R_T (resp. r_T)denotes the radius of the circumscribed (resp. inscribed) circleof the triangle T. When T is varying in F the centre of itsinscribed circle is varying in a compact interior to T and itsorthogonal projections on the sides are varying in compact intervalsinterior to these sides. Precise results are given about thesizes of these compacts and are used for the computation oferror constants in the problem of Hermite interpolation by Powell-Sabinquadratic finite elements, bringing to the fore their dependenceon the parameter .     

Convergence of a finite-element approximation of surfactant spreading on a thin film in the presence of van der Waals forces

We consider a fully practical finite-element approximationof the following system of nonlinear degenerate parabolic equations: (u)/(t) + . (u² [(v)]) - (1)/(3) .(u³ w)= 0, w = - c u - u^-+ a u^-3 , (v)/(t) + . (u v [(v)]) - v - .(u² v w) = 0. The above models a surfactant-driven thin-film flow in the presenceof both attractive, a>0, and repulsive, >0 with >3,van der Waals forces; where u is the height of the film, v isthe concentration of the insoluble surfactant monolayer and(v):=1-v is the typical surface tension. Here 0 and c>0 arethe inverses of the surface Peclet number and the modified capillarynumber. In addition to showing stability bounds for our approximation,we prove convergence, and hence existence of a solution to thisnonlinear degenerate parabolic system, (i) in one space dimensionwhen >0; and, moreover, (ii) in two space dimensions if inaddition 7. Furthermore, iterative schemes for solving the resultingnonlinear discrete system are discussed. Finally, some numericalexperiments are presented.     

Numerical Solvability of Hammerstein Integral Equations of Mixed Type

We consider a mixed Hammerstein integral equation of the form where –<a<b<, y, f_i and k_i, (1im) are known functionsand x is a solution to be determined. In this paper, we obtainexistence, uniqueness, and numerical solvability of (I) undercertain smoothness assumptions on the known functions y, f_iand k_i.     

Convergence of Univariate Quasi-Interpolation Using Multiquadrics

Quasi-interpolants to a function f: RR on an infinite regularmesh of spacing h can be defined by where :RR is a function with fast decay for large argument. In the approach employing the radial-basis-function : RR, thefunction is a finite linear combination of basis functions(|•–jh|) (jZ). Choosing Hardy's multiquadrics (r)=(r²+c²)^?,we show that sufficiently fast-decaying exist that render quasi-interpolationexact for linear polynomials f. Then, approximating f C²(R),we obtain uniform convergence of s to f as (h, c)0, and convergenceof s' to f' as (h, c²/h)0. However, when c stays bounded awayfrom 0 as h0, there are f C(R) for which s does not convergeto f as h0. We also show that, for all which vanish at infinity but arenot integrable over R, there are no finite linear combinations of the given basis functions allowing the construction of admissiblequasi-interpolants. This includes the case of the inverse multiquadncs(r)=(r²+c²)^–?.     

Boundary integral methods for singularly perturbed boundary value problems

In this paper we consider boundary integral methods appliedto boundary value problems for the positive definite Helmholtz-typeproblem –U + ²U = 0 in a bounded or unbounded domain,with the parameter real and possibly large. Applications arisein the implementation of space–time boundary integralmethods for the heat equation, where is proportional to 1/(t),and t is the time step. The corresponding layer potentials arisingfrom this problem depend nonlinearly on the parameter and havekernels which become highly peaked as , causing standard discretizationschemes to fail. We propose a new collocation method with arobust convergence rate as . Numerical experiments on a modelproblem verify the theoretical results.     

Mixed finite-element methods for Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman-type equations

The numerical solution of Dirichlet's problem for a second-orderelliptic operator in divergence form with arbitrary nonlinearitiesin the first- and zero-order terms is considered. The mixedfinite-element method is used. Existence and uniqueness of theapproximation are proved and optimal error estimates in L² aredemonstrated for the relevant functions. Error estimates arealso derived in L^q, 2q+     

Finite-Element Approximation of a Plasma Equilibrium Problem

The plasma problem studied is: given R⁺ find (, d, u) R ?R ? H¹() such that Let ₁ < ₂ be the first two eigenvalues of the associatedlinear eigenvalue problem: find $$\left(\lambda ,\phi \right)\in\mathrm{R;}\times {\hbox{ H }}_{0}^{1}\left(\Omega \right)$$such that For ₀(0,₂) it is well known that there exists a unique solution(₀, d₀, u₀) to the above problem. We show that the standard continuous piecewise linear Galerkinfinite-element approximatinon $$\left({\lambda }_{0},{\hbox{d }}_{0}^{k},{u}_{0}^{h}\right)$$, for ₀(0,₂), converges atthe optimal rate in the H¹, L², and L norms as h, the mesh length,tends to 0. In addition, we show that dist (, ^h)Ch² ln 1/h,where $${\Gamma }^{\left(h\right)}=\left\{x\in \Omega :{u}_{0}^{\left(h\right)}\left(x\right)=0\right\}$$.Finally we consider a more practical approximation involvingnumerical integration.     

Finite-Element Approximation of Elliptic Equations with a Neumann or Robin Condition on a Curved Boundary

This paper considers a finite-element approximation of a second-orderself adjoint elliptic equation in a region Rⁿ (with n=2 or 3)having a curved boundary on which a Neumann or Robin conditionis prescribed. If the finite-element space defined over , a union of elements, has approximation power h^kin the L² norm, and if the region of integration is approximatedby ^h with dist (, ^h)Ch^k, then it is shown that one retains optimalrates of convergence for the error in the H¹ and L² norms, whetherQ^h is fitted or unfitted , provided that the numerical integration scheme has sufficientaccuracy.     

Generalized compound quadrature formulae for finite-part integrals

Received on 31 July 1995. Revised on 19 August 1996. We investigate the error term of the dth degree compound quadratureformulae for finite-part integrals of the form where and p 1.We are mainly interested in error bounds of the form with best possible constants c. Itis shown that, for and n uniformlydistributed nodes, the error behaves as O(n^p–s–1for , p–1 <s d+1.In a previous paper we have shown that this is not true for As an improvement, we consider the case of non-uniformly distributednodes. Here, we show that for all p I and , an O(n^–s) error estimate can be obtainedin theory by a suitable choice of the nodes. A set of nodeswith this property is staled explicitly. In practice, this gradedmesh causes stability problems which are computationally expensiveto overcome. E-mail address: diethelm{at}informatik.uni-hildesheim.de     

Near-best Lp Approximations by Real and Complex Chebyshev Series

The expansion of a real or complex function in a series of Chebyshevpolynomials of the first and second kinds is discussed in thecontext of near-best approximation. The discussion covers realand complex approximation on the real interval [–1, 1]as a special example of the complex elliptical contour , as well as complex approximationon an elliptical domain, an ellipse exterior, and an ellipticalannulus (including special cases in which part of the boundarycollapses into a "crack"). Two distinct types of function spacesare considered, namely appropriately weighted L_p measure spacesand analytic function spaces, and resulting approximations areshown in all cases to be near-best in the L_p norm within a relativedistance asymptotic to (4^-2 log n)^2p-1–1 for all p (1p ), where relates to the order of approximation.     

Fitted and Unfitted Finite-Element Methods for Elliptic Equations with Smooth Interfaces

This paper considers the finite-element approximation of theelliptic interface problem: -?(u) + cu = f in Rⁿ (n = 2 or3), with u = 0 on , where is discontinuous across a smoothsurface in the interior of . First we show that, if the meshis isoparametrically fitted to using simplicial elements ofdegree k - 1, with k 2, then the standard Galerkin method achievesthe optimal rate of convergence in the H¹ and L² norms overthe approximations _l⁴ of _l where _{l 2}. Second, since itmay be computationally inconvenient to fit the mesh to , weanalyse a fully practical piecewise linear approximation ofa related penalized problem, as introduced by Babuska (1970),based on a mesh that is independent of . We show that, by choosingthe penalty parameter appropriately, this approximation convergesto u at the optimal rate in the H¹ norm over _l⁴ and in the L²norm over any interior domain _l^* satisfying _l^* _l^** _l⁴ for somedomain _l^**. Present address: School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences,University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QH     

Delay dependent stability regions of {Theta}-methods for delay differential equations

In this paper asymptotic stability properties of -methods fordelay differential equations (DDEs) are considered with respectto the test equation y'(t) = ay(t) + by(t - ), t > 0, y(t)= g(t), - t 0, where > 0. First we examine extensivelythe instance where a, b and g(t) is a continuous real-valuedfunction; then we investigate the more general case of a, b C and g(t) a continuous complex-valued function. The last decade has seen a relatively large number of papersdevoted to the study of the stability of -methods, using thetest equation (0.1). In those papers, conditions that are strongerthan necessary for the (asymptotic) stability of the zero solutionare assumed; for instance, [a]+¦b¦ < 0, thatis the set of complex pairs (a, b) such that the zero solutionof (0.1) is asymptotically stable for every > 0. In thispaper we study, instead, the stability properties of -methodsfor equation (0.1) with an arbitrary but fixed value of .     

Discrete methods in the study of an inverse problem for Laplace's equation

Let u be harmonic in the interior of a rectangle and satisfythe third-kind boundary condition u_n + yu = where 0, y 0with supports included in the bottom and in the top side of, respectively. Recovering y from a knowledge of and of thetrace of u on the bottom is a nonlinear inverse problem ofinterest in the field of nondestructive evaluation. A convergentGalerkin method for approximating y is proposed and tested innumerical experiments.     

Best Approximation with Coefficient Constraints

For given = (₁,..., _n) and ß = (ß₁,...,ß_n), with – _i < ß_i (i = 1, ...,n) and continuous functions u₁,...,u_n, set This paper is concerned with best approximating continuous functions,in the uniform norm, from U(; ß). We exactly characterizethe u₁,..., u_n for which the best approximant to every continuousfunction is unique. We also present a general theorem characterizingall best approximants. When (u₁,..., u_n) is a Descartes, ora weak Descartes, system on [0, 1], explicit characterizationsof the best approximants in terms of equioscillations are given.These results are applied to spline spaces. They are also usedto complete the characterizations in certain specific examplespreviously considered in the literature.     

On strongly asymptotic lp spaces and minimality

Let 1 p and let X be a Banach space with a semi-normalizedstrongly asymptotic _p basis (e_i). If X is minimal and 1 p <2, then X is isomorphic to a subspace of _p. If X is minimaland 2 p < , or if X is complementably minimal and 1 p , then (e_i) is equivalent to the unit vector basis of _p (orc₀ if p = ).     

Bounds for the Independence Number of Critical Graphs

In 1968 Vizing conjectured that any independent vertex set ofan edge-chromatic critical graph G contains at most half ofthe vertices of G, that is, (G|(G)|). Let be the maximum vertexdegree in a critical graph. For each , we determine c() suchthat (G)c()|V)|. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification 05C15,05C70.     

Rate of convergence of numerical approximations to homoclinic bifurcation points

For x=f (x, ), x Rⁿ, R, having a hyperbolic or semihyperbolicequilibrium p(), we study the numerical approximation of parametervalues ^* at which there is an orbit homoclinic to p(). We approximate^* by solving a finite-interval boundary value problem on J=[T_–,T₊], T_–<0<T₊, with boundary conditions that sayx(T_–) and x(T₊) are in approximations to appropriate invariantmanifolds of p(). A phase condition is also necessary to makethe solution unique. Using a lemma of Xiao-Biao Lin, we improve,for certain phase conditions, existing estimates on the rateof convergence of the computed homoclinic bifurcation parametervalue , to the true value ^*. The estimates we obtain agree withthe rates of convergence observed in numerical experiments.Unfortunately, the phase condition most commonly used in numericalwork is not covered by our results.     

On the Best Constant in Weighted Inequalities for Riemann-Liouville Integrals

For 1 k < and 1 p q , the problem of finding the bestconstant C_pq in the weighted inequality involving the Riemann-Liouville integrals of theform is considered.