Verification of functional a posteriori error estimates for obstacle problem in 1D

We verify functional a posteriori error estimate for obstacle problem proposed by Repin. Simplification into 1D allows for the construction of a nonlinear benchmark for which an exact solution of the obstacle problem can be derived. Quality of a numerical approximation obtained by the finite element method is compared with the exact solution and the error of approximation is bounded from above by a majorant error estimate. The sharpness of the majorant error estimate is discussed.Web of Science49575473

Verifications of primal energy identities for variational problems with obstacles

We discuss error identities for two classes of free boundary problems generated by obstacles. The identities suggest true forms of the respective error measures which consist of two parts: standard energy norm and a certain nonlinear measure. The latter measure controls (in a weak sense) approximation of free boundaries. Numerical tests confirm sharpness of error identities and show that in different examples one or another part of the error measure may be dominant.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, conference paper: LSSC (Large-Scale scientific computing), Sozopol, Bulgaria, 2017. The final version will be published at Springe

Duality based a posteriori error estimates for higher order variational inequalities with power growth functionals

We consider variational inequalities of higher order with p-growth potentials over a domain in the plane by the way including the obstacle problem for a plate with power hardening law. Using duality methods we prove a posteriori error estimates of functional type for the difference of the exact solution and any admissible comparision function

Optimal control of geometric partial differential equations

Optimal control problems for geometric (evolutionary) partial differential inclusions are considered. The focus is on problems which, in addition to the nonlinearity due to geometric evolution, contain optimization theoretic challenges because of non-smoothness. The latter might stem from energies containing non-smooth constituents such as obstacle-type potentials or terms modeling, e.g., pinning phenomena in microfluidics. Several techniques to remedy the resulting constraint degeneracy when deriving stationarity conditions are presented. A particular focus is on Yosida-type mollifications approximating the original degenerate problem by a sequence of nondegenerate nonconvex optimal control problems. This technique is also the starting point for the development of numerical solution schemes. In this context, also dual-weighted residual based error estimates are addressed to facilitate an adaptive mesh refinement. Concerning the underlying state model, sharp and diffuse interface formulations are discussed. While the former always allows for accurately tracing interfacial motion, the latter model may be dictated by the underlying physical phenomenon, where near the interface mixed phases may exist, but it may also be used as an approximate model for (sharp) interface motion. In view of the latter, (sharp interface) limits of diffuse interface models are addressed. For the sake of presentation, this exposition confines itself to phase field type diffuse interface models and, moreover, develops the optimal control of either of the two interface models along model applications. More precisely, electro-wetting on dielectric is used in the sharp interface context, and the control of multiphase fluids involving spinodal decomposition highlights the phase field technique. Mathematically, the former leads to a Hele-Shaw flow with geometric boundary conditions involving a complementarity system due to contact line pinning, and the latter gives rise to a Cahn-Hilliard Navier-Stokes model including a non-smooth obstacle type potential leading to a variational inequality constraint

Optimal control of geometric partial differential equations

Optimal control problems for geometric (evolutionary) partial differential inclusions are considered. The focus is on problems which, in addition to the nonlinearity due to geometric evolution, contain optimization theoretic challenges because of non-smoothness. The latter might stem from energies containing non-smooth constituents such as obstacle-type potentials or terms modeling, e.g., pinning phenomena in microfluidics. Several techniques to remedy the resulting constraint degeneracy when deriving stationarity conditions are presented. A particular focus is on Yosida-type mollifications approximating the original degenerate problem by a sequence of nondegenerate nonconvex optimal control problems. This technique is also the starting point for the development of numerical solution schemes. In this context, also dual-weighted residual based error estimates are addressed to facilitate an adaptive mesh refinement. Concerning the underlying state model, sharp and diffuse interface formulations are discussed. While the former always allows for accurately tracing interfacial motion, the latter model may be dictated by the underlying physical phenomenon, where near the interface mixed phases may exist, but it may also be used as an approximate model for (sharp) interface motion. In view of the latter, (sharp interface) limits of diffuse interface models are addressed. For the sake of presentation, this exposition confines itself to phase field type diffuse interface models and, moreover, develops the optimal control of either of the two interface models along model applications. More precisely, electro-wetting on dielectric is used in the sharp interface context, and the control of multiphase fluids involving spinodal decomposition highlights the phase field technique. Mathematically, the former leads to a Hele-Shaw flow with geometric boundary conditions involving a complementarity system due to contact line pinning, and the latter gives rise to a Cahn-Hilliard Navier-Stokes model including a non-smooth obstacle type potential leading to a variational inequality constraint

Numerical Methods for Partial Differential Equations

These lecture notes are devoted to the numerical solution of partial differential equations (PDEs). PDEs arise in many fields and are extremely important in modeling of technical processes with applications in physics, biology, chemisty, economics, mechanical engineering, and so forth. In these notes, not only classical topics for linear PDEs such as finite differences, finite elements, error estimation, and numerical solution schemes are addressed, but also schemes for nonlinear PDEs and coupled problems up to current state-of-the-art techniques are covered. In the Winter 2020/2021 an International Class with additional funding from DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) and local funding from the Leibniz University Hannover, has led to additional online materials such as links to youtube videos, which complement these lecture notes. This is the updated and extended Version 2. The first version was published under the DOI: https://doi.org/10.15488/9248