Stagnation in the p-version of the finite element method

A special feature of the p-version of the finite element method for solving a differential boundary value problem stated in the form of minimizing a quadratic functional on a certain set is studied. This special feature results in approximate solutions remaining unchanged on finite numbers of increasing finite-dimensional subsets of increasing dimension, in which solutions are sought. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of this feature are found, and the stagnation effect is interpreted for a specially constructed example. For the adaptive p-version of the finite element approach, a modified strategy is proposed that takes this feature into account and thus improves the reliability of the method.