A quasi-interpolation operator yielding fully computable error bounds (Q6855587)

A quasi-interpolation operator from the Sobolev space to its finite-dimensional finite element subspace is formed by piecewise polynomials on a simplicial mesh with a computable approximation constant. The main novelty of the work is that the constant is fully computable. It is calculated by solving small, uncoupled, matrix eigenvalue problems that stem from patch-wise finite element spaces. The paper presents a first computable constant under minimal regularity, for arbitrary polynomial degree, and yielding the comparison of global-best and local-best errors. Numerical experiments illustrate that the quasi-interpolation operator gives the correct convergence rates in all the benchmark problems with smooth solutions, circular irregularity, corner singularity.