In this paper we propose a method for the finite element solution of elliptic interface problem, using an approach due to Nitsche. The method allows for discontinuities, internal to the elements, in the approximation across the interface. We show that optimal order of convergence holds without restrictions on the location of the interface relative to the mesh. Further, we derive a posteriori error estimates for the purpose of controlling functionals of the error and present some numerical examples.
SUMMARYWe discuss recent advances on robust unfitted finite element methods on cut meshes. These methods are designed to facilitate computations on complex geometries obtained, for example, from computer-aided design or image data from applied sciences. Both the treatment of boundaries and interfaces and the discretization of PDEs on surfaces are discussed and illustrated numerically.
We extend the classical Nitsche type weak boundary conditions to a fictitious domain setting. An additional penalty term, acting on the jumps of the gradients over element faces in the interface zone, is added to ensure that the conditioning of the matrix is independent of how the boundary cuts the mesh. Optimal a priori error estimates in the H 1 and L 2 norms are proved as well as an upper bound on the condition number of the system matrix.
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