Sensitivity analysis for discretized unilateral plane elasticity problem (Q1205251)

We present a method, based on the use of the material derivative approach, applied to the finite element discretization of the problem. The advantage of this approach is that it gives the exact values of gradients and it can be very easily implemented on computers. We apply this method in the case of contact problems, where the situation is more involved compared with the case of elasticity problems with classical boundary conditions. We concentrate on a special choice of the cost functional, given by the total potential energy evaluated at the equilibrium state. This cost functional plays an important role also in grid optimization.