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Main Authors: Carstensen, Carsten, Heuer, Norbert
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.11493
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author Carstensen, Carsten
Heuer, Norbert
author_facet Carstensen, Carsten
Heuer, Norbert
contents The classical continuous mixed formulation of linear elasticity with pointwise symmetric stresses allows for a conforming finite element discretization with piecewise polynomials of degree at least three. Symmetric stress approximations of lower polynomial order are only possible when their div-conformity is weakened to the continuity of normal-normal components. In two dimensions, this condition is meant pointwise along edges for piecewise polynomials, but a corresponding characterization for general piecewise H(div) tensors has been elusive. We introduce such a space and establish a continuous mixed formulation of linear planar elasticity with pointwise symmetric stresses that have, in a distributional sense, continuous normal-normal components across the edges of a shape-regular triangulation. The displacement is split into an $L_2$ field and a tangential trace on the skeleton of the mesh. The well-posedness of the new mixed formulation follows with a duality lemma relating the normal-normal continuous stresses with the tangential traces of displacements. For this new formulation we present a lowest-order conforming discretization. Stresses are approximated by piecewise quadratic symmetric tensors, whereas displacements are discretized by piecewise linear polynomials. The tangential displacement trace acts as a Lagrange multiplier and guarantees global div-conformity in the limit as the mesh-size tends to zero. We prove locking-free, quasi-optimal convergence of our scheme and illustrate this with numerical examples.
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publishDate 2025
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spellingShingle Normal-normal continuous symmetric stresses in mixed finite element elasticity
Carstensen, Carsten
Heuer, Norbert
Numerical Analysis
The classical continuous mixed formulation of linear elasticity with pointwise symmetric stresses allows for a conforming finite element discretization with piecewise polynomials of degree at least three. Symmetric stress approximations of lower polynomial order are only possible when their div-conformity is weakened to the continuity of normal-normal components. In two dimensions, this condition is meant pointwise along edges for piecewise polynomials, but a corresponding characterization for general piecewise H(div) tensors has been elusive. We introduce such a space and establish a continuous mixed formulation of linear planar elasticity with pointwise symmetric stresses that have, in a distributional sense, continuous normal-normal components across the edges of a shape-regular triangulation. The displacement is split into an $L_2$ field and a tangential trace on the skeleton of the mesh. The well-posedness of the new mixed formulation follows with a duality lemma relating the normal-normal continuous stresses with the tangential traces of displacements. For this new formulation we present a lowest-order conforming discretization. Stresses are approximated by piecewise quadratic symmetric tensors, whereas displacements are discretized by piecewise linear polynomials. The tangential displacement trace acts as a Lagrange multiplier and guarantees global div-conformity in the limit as the mesh-size tends to zero. We prove locking-free, quasi-optimal convergence of our scheme and illustrate this with numerical examples.
title Normal-normal continuous symmetric stresses in mixed finite element elasticity
topic Numerical Analysis
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.11493