Applications of discrete maximal \(L_p\) regularity for finite element operators (Q2461607)

This paper concerns the initial value problem of the form \[ u'(t)-A_qu(t)=f(t),\;\;t\geq0\tag{1} \] \[ u(0)=u_0,\tag{2} \] where the operator \(A_q\) is defined by means of the standard elliptic sesquilinear form \(a(u,v)\) defined on the space \(H^1_0(\Omega)\) (or \(H^1(\Omega)\)), involving the function \(u\) and its first and second space derivatives. Under suitable assumptions, the operator \(A_q\) is a generator of a semigroup acting on the space \(L_q(\Omega)\). The aim of the paper is to give error estimates for \(u\) by following a finite element version of the problem (1), (2) \[ u_h'(t)-A_hu_h(t)=f_h,\;\;t\in {\mathbf I},\tag{3} \] \[ u_h(0)=0,\tag{4} \] (\({\mathbf I}\) is a bounded interval) in terms of the space \(L_p({\mathbb R}^{+},L_q(\Omega))\), \(1<p,q<\infty\). The basic tool used in this work is the maximal \(L_p\) regularity of the problem (3), (4) that is its property expressed in form of the following inequality (of the stability character) \[ \| u'_h\| _{L_p(I;L_q(\Omega))}+\| A_h\| _{L_p(I;L_q(\Omega))} \leq C_h\| f_h\| _{L_p(I;L_q(\Omega))}\tag{5} \] with constants \(C_h\) mostly assumed to be uniformly bounded. Theorem 3.5 of the paper states conditions under which (5) can be satisfied while Theorem 4.9 gives the convergence estimate of the standard form -- the main result in the linear case \[ \| u_h-u\| _{L_p({\mathbb R}^+;L_q(\Omega))}\leq Ch^2\left( \| f\| _ {L_p({\mathbb R}^+;L_q(\Omega))}+\| u_0\| _{(L_q(\Omega),D(A))_{1-{1\over p},p}}\;\right).\tag{6} \] The above result can be generalized under additional assumptions about \(f\) (Lipschitz condition, etc.) for the nonlinear case where \(f\) (in finite element formulation) depends on \(u_h\) and its first space and time derivatives. The appendix to this paper is devoted to properties of the so called Ritz projections, extensively used in the proofs.