A finite element method for high-contrast interface problems with error estimates independent of contrast (Q1685514)

A finite element method for a steady state interface problem is developed. An elliptic problem with jumps across an interface is considered. The considered problem is a Poisson problem with discontinuous right hand side and also with discontinuous diffusion coefficient. On the interface the continuity of the solution is assumed together with the continuity of the flux. The piecewise linear finite element method is used and the influence of the jump is analysed. For the discretization a system of triangulation is used, which do no approximate the interface. The discontinuous finite element space is used and convergence to the exact solution is sought in the broken Sobolev spaces defined over a triangulation \(\mathcal T_h\). The resulting formulation is shown to be coercive and continuous. Error estimates are derived and proven, possible extensions of the method are discussed.