An approximation method using approximate approximations

The aim of this paper is to extend the method of approximate approximations to boundary value problems. This method was introduced by V. Maz'ya in 1991 and has been used until now for the approximation of smooth functions defined on the whole space and for the approximation of volume potentials. In the present paper we develop an approximation procedure for the solution of the interior Dirichlet problem for the Laplace equation in two dimensions using approximate approximations. The procedure is based on potential theoretical considerations in connection with a boundary integral equations method and consists of three approximation steps as follows. In a first step the unknown source density in the potential representation of the solution is replaced by approximate approximations. In a second step the decay behavior of the generating functions is used to gain a suitable approximation for the potential kernel, and in a third step Nyström's method leads to a linear algebraic system for the approximate source density. For every step a convergence analysis is established and corresponding error estimates are given.

Quasi-Interpolation von Funktionen und Anwendungen auf Potentialprobleme

Ausgangspunkt der Dissertation ist ein von V. Maz'ya entwickeltes Verfahren, eine gegebene Funktion f : Rn ! R durch eine Linearkombination fh radialer glatter exponentiell fallender Basisfunktionen zu approximieren, die im Gegensatz zu den Splines lediglich eine näherungsweise Zerlegung der Eins bilden und somit ein für h ! 0 nicht konvergentes Verfahren definieren. Dieses Verfahren wurde unter dem Namen Approximate Approximations bekannt. Es zeigt sich jedoch, dass diese fehlende Konvergenz für die Praxis nicht relevant ist, da der Fehler zwischen f und der Approximation fh über gewisse Parameter unterhalb der Maschinengenauigkeit heutiger Rechner eingestellt werden kann. Darüber hinaus besitzt das Verfahren große Vorteile bei der numerischen Lösung von Cauchy-Problemen der Form Lu = f mit einem geeigneten linearen partiellen Differentialoperator L im Rn. Approximiert man die rechte Seite f durch fh, so lassen sich in vielen Fällen explizite Formeln für die entsprechenden approximativen Volumenpotentiale uh angeben, die nur noch eine eindimensionale Integration (z.B. die Errorfunktion) enthalten. Zur numerischen Lösung von Randwertproblemen ist das von Maz'ya entwickelte Verfahren bisher noch nicht genutzt worden, mit Ausnahme heuristischer bzw. experimenteller Betrachtungen zur sogenannten Randpunktmethode. Hier setzt die Dissertation ein. Auf der Grundlage radialer Basisfunktionen wird ein neues Approximationsverfahren entwickelt, welches die Vorzüge der von Maz'ya für Cauchy-Probleme entwickelten Methode auf die numerische Lösung von Randwertproblemen überträgt. Dabei werden stellvertretend das innere Dirichlet-Problem für die Laplace-Gleichung und für die Stokes-Gleichungen im R2 behandelt, wobei für jeden der einzelnen Approximationsschritte Konvergenzuntersuchungen durchgeführt und Fehlerabschätzungen angegeben werden.

Lagrangian approximations and weak solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations

The motion of a viscous incompressible fluid flow in bounded domains with a smooth boundary can be described by the nonlinear Navier-Stokes equations. This description corresponds to the so-called Eulerian approach. We develop a new approximation method for the Navier-Stokes equations in both the stationary and the non-stationary case by a suitable coupling of the Eulerian and the Lagrangian representation of the flow, where the latter is defined by the trajectories of the particles of the fluid. The method leads to a sequence of uniquely determined approximate solutions with a high degree of regularity containing a convergent subsequence with limit function v such that v is a weak solution of the Navier-Stokes equations.

Approximate Approximations and a Boundary Point Method for the Linearized Stokes System

The method of approximate approximations, introduced by Maz'ya [1], can also be used for the numerical solution of boundary integral equations. In this case, the matrix of the resulting algebraic system to compute an approximate source density depends only on the position of a finite number of boundary points and on the direction of the normal vector in these points (Boundary Point Method). We investigate this approach for the Stokes problem in the whole space and for the Stokes boundary value problem in a bounded convex domain G subset R^2, where the second part consists of three steps: In a first step the unknown potential density is replaced by a linear combination of exponentially decreasing basis functions concentrated near the boundary points. In a second step, integration over the boundary partial G is replaced by integration over the tangents at the boundary points such that even analytical expressions for the potential approximations can be obtained. In a third step, finally, the linear algebraic system is solved to determine an approximate density function and the resulting solution of the Stokes boundary value problem. Even not convergent the method leads to an efficient approximation of the form O(h^2) + epsilon, where epsilon can be chosen arbitrarily small.

Introducing the Logarithmic finite element method: a geometrically exact planar Bernoulli beam element

We propose a novel finite element formulation that significantly reduces the number of degrees of freedom necessary to obtain reasonably accurate approximations of the low-frequency component of the deformation in boundary-value problems. In contrast to the standard Ritz–Galerkin approach, the shape functions are defined on a Lie algebra—the logarithmic space—of the deformation function. We construct a deformation function based on an interpolation of transformations at the nodes of the finite element. In the case of the geometrically exact planar Bernoulli beam element presented in this work, these transformation functions at the nodes are given as rotations. However, due to an intrinsic coupling between rotational and translational components of the deformation function, the formulation provides for a good approximation of the deflection of the beam, as well as of the resultant forces and moments. As both the translational and the rotational components of the deformation function are defined on the logarithmic space, we propose to refer to the novel approach as the “Logarithmic finite element method”, or “LogFE” method.