Xuehai Huang

Xuehai Huang, Xinyue Zhao

A symmetric-tensor distributional mixed method for a fourth-order elliptic singular perturbation problem is developed in this paper. The moment variable is approximated by normal-normal continuous symmetric tensor elements, while the scalar variable is represented by an $H^1$-nonconforming virtual element space coupled with a polynomial multiplier on interior subsimplices of codimension two. Optimal parameter-uniform error estimates are derived, independent of the presence of boundary layers. A hybridized form of the method is also equivalent to stabilization-free weak Galerkin and $H^2$-nonconforming virtual element methods. In two dimensions, a close connection of the distributional mixed method to the classical Hellan-Herrmann-Johnson (HHJ) method is established, by naturally identifying the scalar virtual element-multiplier pair with the Lagrange finite element space. Thus the proposed method extends the two-dimensional HHJ method to arbitrary spatial dimensions. Three-dimensional numerical experiments support the theoretical convergence and robustness estimates.

Long Chen, Jun Hu, Xuehai Huang

A block diagonal preconditioner with the minimal residual method and a block triangular preconditioner with the generalized minimal residual method are developed for Hu-Zhang mixed finite element methods of linear elasticity. They are based on a new stability result of the saddle point system in mesh-dependent norms. The mesh-dependent norm for the stress corresponds to the mass matrix which is easy to invert while the displacement it is spectral equivalent to Schur complement. A fast auxiliary space preconditioner based on the $H^1$ conforming linear element of the linear elasticity problem is then designed for solving the Schur complement. For both diagonal and triangular preconditioners, it is proved that the conditioning numbers of the preconditioned systems are bounded above by a constant independent of both the crucial Lamé constant and the mesh-size. Numerical examples are presented to support theoretical results. As byproducts, a new stabilized low order mixed finite element method is proposed and analyzed and superconvergence results of Hu-Zhang element are obtained.

Long Chen, Jun Hu, Xuehai Huang

In this paper, we design two classes of stabilized mixed finite element methods for linear elasticity on simplicial grids. In the first class of elements, we use $\boldsymbol{H}(\mathbf{div}, Ω; \mathbb{S})$-$P_k$ and $\boldsymbol{L}^2(Ω; \mathbb{R}^n)$-$P_{k-1}$ to approximate the stress and displacement spaces, respectively, for $1\leq k\leq n$, and employ a stabilization technique in terms of the jump of the discrete displacement over the faces of the triangulation under consideration; in the second class of elements, we use $\boldsymbol{H}_0^1(Ω; \mathbb{R}^n)$-$P_{k}$ to approximate the displacement space for $1\leq k\leq n$, and adopt the stabilization technique suggested by Brezzi, Fortin, and Marini. We establish the discrete inf-sup conditions, and consequently present the a priori error analysis for them. The main ingredient for the analysis is two special interpolation operators, which can be constructed using a crucial $\boldsymbol{H}(\mathbf{div})$ bubble function space of polynomials on each element. The feature of these methods is the low number of global degrees of freedom in the lowest order case. We present some numerical results to demonstrate the theoretical estimates.

Long Chen, Xuehai Huang

A framework to systematically decouple high order elliptic equations into combination of Poisson-type and Stokes-type equations is developed. The key is to systematically construct the underling commutative diagrams involving the complexes and Helmholtz decompositions in a general way. Discretizing the decoupled formulation leads to a natural superconvergence between the Galerkin projection and the decoupled approximation. Examples include but not limit to: the primal formulations and mixed formulations of biharmonic equation, fourth order curl equation, and triharmonic equation etc. As a by-product, Helmholtz decompositions for many dual spaces are obtained.

Long Chen, Jun Hu, Xuehai Huang

A V-cycle multigrid method for the Hellan-Herrmann-Johnson (HHJ) discretization of the Kirchhoff plate bending problems is developed in this paper. It is shown that the contraction number of the V-cycle multigrid HHJ mixed method is bounded away from one uniformly with respect to the mesh size. The uniform convergence is achieved for the V-cycle multigrid method with only one smoothing step and without full elliptic regularity. The key is a stable decomposition of the kernel space which is derived from an exact sequence of the HHJ mixed method, and the strengthened Cauchy Schwarz inequality. Some numerical experiments are provided to confirm the proposed V-cycle multigrid method. The exact sequences of the HHJ mixed method and the corresponding commutative diagram is of some interest independent of the current context.

Wenqing Wang, Xuehai Huang, Kai Tang et al.

Two Morley-Wang-Xu element methods with penalty for the fourth order elliptic singular perturbation problem are proposed in this paper, including the interior penalty Morley-Wang-Xu element method and the super penalty Morley-Wang-Xu element method. The key idea in designing these two methods is combining the Morley-Wang-Xu element and penalty formulation for the Laplace operator. Robust a priori error estimates are derived under minimal regularity assumptions on the exact solution by means of some established a posteriori error estimates. Finally, we present some numerical results to demonstrate the theoretical estimates.

Long Chen, Jun Hu, Xuehai Huang et al.

A posteriori error estimators for the symmetric mixed finite element methods for linear elasticity problems of Dirichlet and mixed boundary conditions are proposed. Stability and efficiency of the estimators are proved. Finally, we provide numerical examples to verify the theoretical results.

Jianguo Huang, Xuehai Huang

An $hp$-version error analysis is developed for the general DG method in mixed formulation for solving the linear elastic problem. First of all, we give the $hp$-version error estimates of two $L^2$ projection operators. Then incorporated with the techniques in [11], we obtain the $hp$-version error estimates in energy norm and $L^2$ norm. Some numerical experiments are provided for demonstrating the theoretical results.

Long Chen, Xuehai Huang, Chao Zhang et al.

This paper develops divergence-free mixed finite element methods for the Stokes equation. Using H(div)-conforming velocities and discontinuous pressures ensures the inf-sup condition for the velocity--pressure pair and yields pointwise divergence-free velocities. However, this choice makes the vector Laplacian difficult to discretize. Inspired by mass-conserving mixed formulations with stresses, tangential--normal continuous traceless tensor elements are introduced to discretize the vector Laplacian. An inf-sup condition for the weak div operator between the stress and velocity spaces is then proved. Two key properties characterize the scheme. First, the stress--velocity inf-sup stability gives a stable discretization of the vector Laplacian without additional stabilization, unlike discontinuous Galerkin or virtual element methods. Second, the scheme has the property that if a stress field is weakly divergence-free, then it is also strongly divergence-free. This decouples the stress and velocity errors and leads to superconvergence. As a result, optimal-order error estimates are obtained for the stress, while the velocity and pressure converge at rates higher than the approximation orders of the chosen spaces. Numerical experiments confirm the theoretical results.

Chunyu Chen, Long Chen, Xuehai Huang

The exact-sequence structure behind the Arnold--Douglas--Gupta family of higher-order mixed finite elements for plane elasticity on barycentric refinements is made explicit. On each macro triangle, the symmetric stress space is obtained by enriching polynomial stresses with three locally supported functions. We derive closed-form formulas for these enrichments and identify explicit Airy potentials that generate them. This leads to a concrete Hsieh--Clough--Tocher type $C^1$ potential space whose Airy image is exactly the Arnold--Douglas--Gupta stress space. By enforcing single-valued degrees of freedom, we obtain global spaces and a fully explicit finite element elasticity complex on simply connected domains. As a consequence, we construct a new family of $C^1$ finite elements on barycentric refinements, including quadratic, cubic, quartic, and higher-order elements.

Pengtao Sun, Xuehai Huang

In this paper, we present an adaptive hybridizable $C^0$ discontinuous Galerkin (HCDG) method for Kirchhoff plates. A reliable and efficient a posteriori error estimator is produced for this HCDG method. Quasi-orthogonality and discrete reliability are established with the help of a postprocessed bending moment and the discrete Helmholtz decomposition. Based on these, the contraction property between two consecutive loops and complexity of the adaptive HCDG method are studied thoroughly. The key points in our analysis are a postprocessed normal-normal continuous bending moment from the HCDG method solution and a lifting of jump residuals from inter-element boundaries to element interiors.