Error estimates for a mixed finite element discretization of some degenerate parabolic equations

convergence degenerate parabolic equation diffusion problems error bounds Euler implicit method flow in porous media mixed finite element method numerical examples Richard's equation semidiscretization

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Nonlinear parabolic equations (35K55) Degenerate parabolic equations (35K65) Stability and convergence of numerical methods for initial value and initial-boundary value problems involving PDEs (65M12) Error bounds for initial value and initial-boundary value problems involving PDEs (65M15) Method of lines for initial value and initial-boundary value problems involving PDEs (65M20) Finite element, Rayleigh-Ritz and Galerkin methods for initial value and initial-boundary value problems involving PDEs (65M60) Finite element methods applied to problems in fluid mechanics (76M10) Flows in porous media; filtration; seepage (76S05)

Review text

A degenerate parabolic problem of the type \[ \begin{alignedat}{2} 2 \partial _t b(u)-\nabla \cdot(\nabla u +k(b(u)){\mathbf e_z})&=0 &&\quad \text{in } (0,T]\times \Omega,\\ u&=u_I &&\quad\text{in } 0\times\Omega, \\ u&=0, &&\quad \text{on } (0,T] \times \partial \Omega, \end{alignedat} \] is investigated from the numerical point of view. This model includes both slow and fast diffusion problems and as a particular example Richard's equation as a model of flow in porous media. This model is an extension of previous models which assume the function \(b(.)\) to be Lipschhitz continuous. Here the authors assume only Hölder continuity of \(b(.)\). Therefore both degeneracies mentioned before are allowed. First the definition of a weak conformal solution \(P_C\) and a mixed formulation of a weak solution \(P_M\) is investigated and an equivalence between them is proved. Then for the problem \(P_M\), the numerical semidiscretization (in time) scheme based on the Euler implicit method is presented. Then necessary stability conditions, convergence and error estimates for the approximated solution are proved. The full discretization scheme is based on the mixed finite element method. Also in this case, the convergence and error estimates under further regularity properties are derived. Finally two numerical examples with the exact solution for two space dimensional problems are presented and the error with EOC is computed.

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