Preconditioning nonconforming finite element methods for treating Dirichlet boundary conditions. II (Q1204157)

[For part I see ibid. 62, No. 3, 391-411 (1992; reviewed above).]\ This work deals with the \(H^ 1\) condition numbers and the distribution of the \(B_ h\) singular values of the preconditioned operators \(\{B_ h^{-1}A_ h\}_{0<h<1}\), where \(A_ h\) and \(B_ h\) are finite element discretizations of second order elliptic operators, \(A\) and \(B\) respectively. \(B\) is also assumed to be self-adjoint and positive definite. For conforming finite elements, \textit{S. V. Parter} and the author [Preconditioning second order elliptic operators: Condition numbers and the distribution of the singular values. Appl. Numer. Math. (to appear)]\ have shown that the singular values ``cluster'' in a positive finite interval. \textit{C. I. Goldstein} [Spectral distribution of preconditioned elliptic operators and convergence estimates for iterative methods (to appear)]\ also has derived results on the spectral distribution of \(B_ h^{-1}A_ h\) using a different approach. As a generalization of the results of Parter and the author, the current work includes nonconforming finite element methods which deal with Dirichlet boundary conditions. It is shown that, in this more general setting, the singular values also ``cluster'' in a positive finite interval. In particular, if the leading part of \(B\) is the same as the leading part of \(A\), then the singular values cluster about the point \(\{1\}\). Two specific methods are given as applications of this theory. They are the penalty method of \textit{I. Babuška} [Math. Comput. 27, 221-228 (1973; Zbl 0299.65057)] and the method of ``nearly zero'' boundary conditions of \textit{J. Nitsche} [Sympos. Univ. Maryland, Baltimore 1972, 603-627 (1972; Zbl 0271.65059)]. Finally, it is shown that the same results can be proven by an approach generalized from the work of C. I. Goldstein [loc. cit.].