Finite element approximation for 2nd order elliptic eigenvalue problems with nonlocal boundary or transition conditions (Q1354235)

The authors consider a class of eigenvalue problems (EVP) for a second-order elliptic operator on a bounded convex polygonal domain \(\Omega\) in the plane, with nonlocal Neumann (or Robin) boundary conditions (BC) on a part of the boundary \(\partial \Omega\) and with local Robin type BCs on the other part of the boundary. Applications to some transient magnetic field computations in an electric machine are mentioned. Choosing a proper space \({\mathcal V}\) as the space of trial and test functions, the authors recast the problem into the framework of abstract variational EVPs. Introducing suitable finite element subspaces \({\mathcal V}_h\) of \({\mathcal V}\), known error estimates for finite element approximations of the eigenpairs of EVPs with local BCs are found to remain valid for the present type of EVPs. The effect of numerical quadrature is also studied.