\(\phi\)-FEM for the heat equation: optimal convergence on unfitted meshes in space (Q6122552)

The paper at hand provides a priori error estimates for finite element approximations of the heat equation using the so-called \(\phi\)-FEM. This method was recently developed as way to approximate elliptic and parabolic problems on complex domains that are given as level sets. Optimal error estimates in the \(\ell^2(H^1)\)-norm are proved. In addition error estimates in the \(\ell^\infty(L^2)\)-norm are provided. They show a convergence rate that coincides with what is observed numerically (and is optimal in this sense) but half an order in space lower that what one would expect in terms of approximation theory.