A \(C^ 0\)-collocation-like method for two-point boundary value problems (Q1065511)

A method of a collocation type based on \(C^ 0\)-piecewise polynomial spaces is presented for a two-point boundary value problem of the second order. The method has an optimal order of convergence under smoothness requirements on the exact solution which are weaker than for \(C^ 1\)- collocation methods. If the differential operator is symmetric, a modification of this method leads to a symmetric system of linear equations. It is shown that if the collocation solution is a piecewise polynomial of degree not greater than r, the method is stable and convergent with order \(h^ r\) in \(H^ 1\)-norm. A similar symmetric modification for \(C^ 0\)-collocation-finite element method [cf. \textit{M. F. Wheeler}, SIAM J. Numer. Anal. 14, 71-90 (1977; Zbl 0402.65052)] is also obtained. Superconvergence at the nodes is established.