Pointwise error estimates and asymptotic error expansion inequalities for the finite element method on irregular grids: Part I. Global estimates (Q4396441)

The author is interested pointwise and \(L_\infty\) error estimates for solutions of elliptic partial differential equations in two or more dimensions. He proves an error estimate for a solution \(u\) and its approximation \(u_h\) at a point \(x\) that takes the form \[ | (u-u_x)(x)| \leq | | u-u_h| | _{L_\infty,x,s}\leq Ch| \log h| ^{\bar s} \inf_{\chi\in S^h_r}| | u-\chi| | _{W^1_\infty,x,s},\tag{*} \] where \(S^h_r\) represents the finite element approximation space that includes polynomials of degree \((r-1)\), where \(0\leq s\leq r-2\), where \(\bar{s}=1\) if \(s=r-2\) and \(\bar{s}=0\) otherwise, and where the subscript \(x,s\) indicates that the norms are weighted by the function \[ \sigma^s_{x,h}(y)=\biggl({h\over| x-y| +h}\biggr)^s. \] A similar estimate for the gradient of the solution is also proved. These estimates are stronger than unweighted \(L_\infty\) estimates. The proofs of the estimates rely on use of the weighting function \(\sigma\) and on certain smoothed approximate Green's functions. In addition to the error estimate (*), the author proves an ``error expansion inequality'' of the form \[ | (u-u_h)(x)| \leq C| \log h| ^{\bar{s}} \biggl(\;\sum_{\rho=r}^{\rho=s-1}h^\rho\sum_{| \alpha| =\rho}| D^\alpha u(\xi)| +h^{s}| | u| | _{W_\infty^{s}}\biggr),\tag{**} \] for \(r\geq 3\), \(r+1\leq s \leq 2r-2\), \(\bar{s}\) as above, and arbitrary \(\xi\) near \(x\). A similar inequality is proved for the gradient of the solution as well. The information these estimates provide about the solution is more local in nature than has been available previously. Further, the estimate (**) can be used to prove superconvergence when there are points at which appropriate derivatives of \(u\) vanish.