Convergence and quasi-optimality of adaptive nonconforming finite element methods for some nonsymmetric and indefinite problems

Recently an adaptive nonconforming finite element method (ANFEM) has been developed by Carstensen and Hoppe (in Numer Math 103:251–266, 2006). In this paper, we extend the result to some nonsymmetric and indefinite problems. The main tools in our analysis are a posteriori error estimators and a quasi-orthogonality property. In this case, we need to overcome two main difficulties: one stems from the nonconformity of the finite element space, the other is how to handle the effect of a nonsymmetric and indefinite bilinear form. An appropriate adaptive nonconforming finite element method featuring a marking strategy based on the comparison of the a posteriori error estimator and a volume term is proposed for the lowest order Crouzeix–Raviart element. It is shown that the ANFEM is a contraction for the sum of the energy error and a scaled volume term between two consecutive adaptive loops. Moreover, quasi-optimality in the sense of quasi-optimal algorithmic complexity can be shown for the ANFEM. The results of numerical experiments confirm the theoretical findings.