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arXiv · 2508.02861

H(curl)-based approximation of the Stokes problem with weakly enforced no-slip boundary conditions

Wietse M. Boon·Wouter Tonnon·Enrico Zampa
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Abstract

In this work, we show how to impose no-slip boundary conditions for an H(curl)-based formulation for incompressible Stokes flow, which is used in structure-preserving discretizations of Navier-Stokes and magnetohydrodynamics equations. At first glance, it seems straightforward to apply no-slip boundary conditions: the tangential part is an essential boundary condition on H(curl) and the normal component can be naturally enforced through integration-by-parts of the divergence term. However, we show that this can lead to an ill-posed discretization and propose a Nitsche-based finite element method instead. We analyze the discrete system, establishing stability and deriving a priori error estimates. Numerical experiments validate our analysis and demonstrate optimal convergence rates for the velocity field.

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Wietse M. Boon, Wouter Tonnon, Enrico Zampa. 2025-08-04. H(curl)-based approximation of the Stokes problem with weakly enforced no-slip boundary conditions. https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.02861

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