Numerical homogenization of H(curl)-problems

TL;DR

This paper introduces a corrector operator for H(curl) problems with rough coefficients, enabling improved finite element approximations without scale separation, by compensating for low regularity of solutions.

Contribution

It constructs a computable, stable, quasi-local corrector operator for Nédélec finite elements that enhances convergence in H(curl) problems with rough coefficients.

Findings

Existence of a linear corrector operator with key properties.

First-order error estimates in H(curl) norm achieved.

Applicable to generalized finite element methods without scale separation.

Abstract

If an elliptic differential operator associated with an $\mathbf{H}(\mathrm{curl})$-problem involves rough (rapidly varying) coefficients, then solutions to the corresponding $\mathbf{H}(\mathrm{curl})$-problem admit typically very low regularity, which leads to arbitrarily bad convergence rates for conventional numerical schemes. The goal of this paper is to show that the missing regularity can be compensated through a corrector operator. More precisely, we consider the lowest order N\'ed\'elec finite element space and show the existence of a linear corrector operator with four central properties: it is computable, $\mathbf{H}(\mathrm{curl})$-stable, quasi-local and allows for a correction of coarse finite element functions so that first-order estimates (in terms of the coarse mesh-size) in the $\mathbf{H}(\mathrm{curl})$ norm are obtained provided the right-hand side belongs to $\mathbf{H}(\mathrm{div})$. With these four properties, a practical application is to construct generalized finite element spaces which can be straightforwardly used in a Galerkin method. In particular, this characterizes a homogenized solution and a first order corrector, including corresponding quantitative error estimates without the requirement of scale separation.