arXiv subjects

Lorenzo Mascotto

Publications and source records attributed to Lorenzo Mascotto.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

A priori and a posteriori error estimates of a $\mathcal C^0$-in-time method for the wave equation in second order formulation

We establish fully-discrete a priori and semi-discrete in time a posteriori error estimates for a discontinuous-continuous Galerkin discretization of the wave equation in second order formulation; the resulting method is a Petrov-Galerkin scheme based on piecewise polynomial test functions and continuous piecewise polynomial trial functions in time, respectively. Crucial tools in the a priori analysis for the fully-discrete formulation are the design of suitable projection and interpolation operators extending those used in the parabolic setting, and stability estimates based on a nonstandard choice of the test function; a priori estimates are shown, which are measured in $L^\infty$-type norms in time. For the semi-discrete in time formulation, we exhibit reliable a posteriori error estimates for the error measured in the $L^\infty(L^2)$ norm with fully explicit constants; to this aim, we design a reconstruction operator into $\mathcal C^1$ piecewise polynomials over the time grid with optimal approximation properties in terms of the polynomial degree distribution and the time steps. Numerical examples illustrate the theoretical findings.

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arXiv2026

A posteriori error analysis and adaptivity of a space-time finite element method for the wave equation in second order formulation

We establish rigorous \emph{a posteriori} error bounds for a space-time finite element method of arbitrary order discretising linear wave problems in second order formulation. The method combines standard finite elements in space and continuous piecewise polynomials in time with an upwind discontinuous Galerkin-type approximation for the second temporal derivative. The proposed scheme accepts dynamic mesh modification, as required by space-time adaptive algorithms, resulting in a discontinuous temporal discretisation when mesh changes occur. We prove \emph{a posteriori} error bounds in the $L^\infty(L^2)$-norm, using carefully designed temporal and spatial reconstructions; explicit control on the constants (including the spatial and temporal orders of the method) in those error bounds is shown. The convergence behaviour of an error estimator is verified numerically, also taking into account the effect of the mesh change. A space-time adaptive algorithm is proposed and tested numerically.

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arXiv2026

A nonconforming method for a generalized Darcy-Forchheimer model

We analyze a dual mixed nonconforming discretization of a generalized Darcy-Forchheimer model. Compared to the analogous scheme proposed by Girault and Wheeler, we consider general, i.e., nonquadratic, Forchheimer nonlinearities; we admit mixed, inhomogeneous boundary conditions; we allow for more general, i.e., with lower Lebesgue regularity, permeability tensors; we construct general-order schemes; we prove convergence to the exact solution under low regularity assumptions, based on novel Sobolev-trace inequalities for broken spaces; we derive error estimates of general-order assuming extra regularity of the exact solution and data; we present numerical results assessing the performance of the proposed schemes for different types of nonlinearity and nonlinear solvers.

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arXiv2026

Sobolev-Poincaré inequalities for piecewise $W^{1,p}$ functions over general polytopic meshes

We establish Sobolev-Poincaré inequalities for piecewise $W^{1,p}$ functions over families of fairly general polytopic (thence also shape-regular simplicial and Cartesian) meshes in any dimension; amongst others, they cover the case of standard Poincaré inequalities for piecewise $W^{1,p}$ functions and can be useful in the analysis of nonconforming finite element discretizations of nonlinear problems. Crucial tools in their derivation are novel Sobolev-trace inequalities and $W^{1,p}$-stable right-inverses of the divergence satisfying mixed boundary conditions. We provide estimates with constants having an explicit dependence on the geometric properties of the domain and the underlying family of polytopic meshes.

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arXiv2025

A generalized Hessian-based error estimator for an IPDG formulation of the biharmonic problem in two dimensions

We consider a two dimensional biharmonic problem and its discretization by means of a symmetric interior penalty discontinuous Galerkin method. A novel split of an error measure based on a generalized Hessian into two terms measuring the conformity and nonconformity of the scheme is proven. This splitting is the departing point for the design of a new error estimator, which is provably reliable and efficient for polynomial degree larger than~$3$, and does not involve any DG stabilization. Such an error estimator can be bounded from above by the standard DG residual error estimator. Numerical results assess the theoretical predictions, including the efficiency of the proposed estimator, for all polynomial degrees larger than or equal to~$2$.

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arXiv2025

Trace inequalities for piecewise $W^{1,p}$ functions over general polytopic meshes

Trace inequalities are crucial tools to derive the stability of partial differential equations with inhomogeneous, natural boundary conditions. In the analysis of corresponding Galerkin methods, they are also essential to show convergence of sequences of discrete solutions to the exact one for data with minimal regularity under mesh refinements and/or degree of accuracy increase. In nonconforming discretizations, such as Crouzeix-Raviart and discontinuous Galerkin, the trial and test spaces consists of functions that are only piecewise continuous: standard trace inequalities cannot be used in this case. In this work, we prove several trace inequalities for piecewise $W^{1,p}$ functions. Compared to analogous results already available in the literature, our inequalities are established: (i) on fairly general polytopic meshes (with arbitrary number of facets and arbitrarily small facets); (ii) without the need of finite dimensional arguments (e.g., inverse estimates, approximation properties of averaging operators); (iii) for different ranges of maximal and nonmaximal Lebesgue indices.

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arXiv2025

New Crouzeix-Raviart elements of even degree: theoretical aspects, numerical performance, and applications to the Stokes' equations

We construct new Crouzeix-Raviart (CR) spaces of even degree $p$ that are spanned by basis functions mimicking those for the odd degree case. Compared to the standard CR gospel, the present construction allows for the use of nested bases of increasing degree and is particularly suited to design variable order CR methods. We analyze a nonconforming discretization of a two dimensional Poisson problem, which requires a DG-type stabilization; the employed stabilization parameter is considerably smaller than that needed in DG methods. Numerical results are presented, which exhibit the expected convergence rates for the $h$-, $p$-, and $hp$-versions of the scheme. We further investigate numerically the behaviour of new even degree CR-type discretizations of the Stokes' equations.

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arXiv2025

Generalised gradients for virtual elements and applications to a posteriori error analysis

We rewrite the standard nodal virtual element method as a generalised gradient method. This re-formulation allows for computing a reliable and efficient error estimator by locally reconstructing broken fluxes and potentials on elemental subtriangulations. We prove the usual upper and lower bounds with constants independent of the stabilisation of the method and, under technical assumptions on the mesh, the degree of accuracy.

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arXiv2025

Stability and interpolation estimates of Hellinger-Reissner virtual element spaces

We prove stability and interpolation estimates for Hellinger-Reissner virtual elements; the constants appearing in such estimates only depend on the aspect ratio of the polytope under consideration and the degree of accuracy of the scheme. We further investigate numerically the behaviour of the constants appearing in the stability estimates on sequences of badly-shaped polytopes and for increasing degree of accuracy.

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arXiv2024

A Nečas-Lions inequality with symmetric gradients on star-shaped domains based on a first order Babuška-Aziz inequality

We prove a Nečas-Lions inequality with symmetric gradients on two and three dimensional domains of diameter $R$ that are star-shaped with respect to a ball of radius $ρ$; the constants in the inequality are explicit with respect to $R$ and $ρ$. Crucial tools in deriving this inequality are a first order Babuška-Aziz inequality based on Bogovskiĭ's construction of a right-inverse of the divergence and Fourier transform techniques proposed by Durán. As a byproduct, we derive arbitrary order estimates in arbitrary dimension for that operator.

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arXiv2024

$hp$-optimal convergence of the original DG method for linear hyperbolic problems on special simplicial meshes

We prove hp-optimal error estimates for the original DG method when approximating solutions to first-order hyperbolic problems with constant convection fields in the L2 and DG norms. The main theoretical tools used in the analysis are novel hp-optimal approximation properties of the special projector introduced in [Cockburn, Dong, Guzman, SINUM, 2008]. We assess the theoretical findings on some test cases.

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arXiv2023

Space-time virtual elements for the heat equation

We propose and analyze a space-time virtual element method for the discretization of the heat equation in a space-time cylinder, based on a standard Petrov-Galerkin formulation. Local discrete functions are solutions to a heat equation problem with polynomial data. Global virtual element spaces are nonconforming in space, so that the analysis and the design of the method are independent of the spatial dimension. The information between time slabs is transmitted by means of upwind terms involving polynomial projections of the discrete functions. We prove well posedness and optimal error estimates for the scheme, and validate them with several numerical tests.

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arXiv2023

Design and performance of a space-time virtual element method for the heat equation on prismatic meshes

We present a space-time virtual element method for the discretization of the heat equation, which is defined on general prismatic meshes and variable degrees of accuracy. Strategies to handle efficiently the space-time mesh structure are discussed. We perform convergence tests for the $h$- and $hp$-versions of the method in case of smooth and singular solutions, and test space-time adaptive mesh refinements driven by a residual-type error indicator.

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arXiv2023

$hp$-optimal interior penalty discontinuous Galerkin methods for the biharmonic problem

We prove $hp$-optimal error estimates for interior penalty discontinuous Galerkin methods (IPDG) for the biharmonic problem with homogeneous essential boundary conditions. We consider tensor product-type meshes in two and three dimensions, and triangular meshes in two dimensions. An essential ingredient in the analysis is the construction of a global $H^2$ piecewise polynomial approximants with $hp$-optimal approximation properties over the given meshes. The $hp$-optimality is also discussed for $\mathcal C^0$-IPDG in two and three dimensions, and the stream formulation of the Stokes problem in two dimensions. Numerical experiments validate the theoretical predictions and reveal that $p$-suboptimality occurs in presence of singular essential boundary conditions.

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arXiv2023

The nonconforming virtual element method with curved edges

We introduce a nonconforming virtual element method for the Poisson equation on domains with curved boundary and internal interfaces. We prove arbitrary order optimal convergence in the energy and $L^2$ norms, and validate the theoretical results with numerical experiments. Compared to existing nodal virtual elements on curved domains, the proposed scheme has the advantage that it can be designed in any dimension.

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arXiv2022

The Virtual Element Method for the 3D Resistive Magnetohydrodynamic model

We present a four-field Virtual Element discretization for the time-dependent resistive Magnetohydrodynamics equations in three space dimensions, focusing on the semi-discrete formulation. The proposed method employs general polyhedral meshes and guarantees velocity and magnetic fields that are divergence free up to machine precision. We provide a full convergence analysis under suitable regularity assumptions, which is validated by some numerical tests.

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arXiv2022

Interpolation and stability estimates for edge and face virtual elements of general order

We develop interpolation error estimates for general order standard and serendipity edge and face virtual elements in two and three dimensions. Contextually, we investigate the stability properties of the associated L2 discrete bilinear forms. These results are fundamental tools in the analysis of general order virtual elements, e.g., for electromagnetic problems.

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arXiv2021

Interpolation and stability properties of low order face and edge virtual element spaces

We analyse the interpolation properties of 2D and 3D low order virtual element face and edge spaces, which generalize Nédélec and Raviart-Thomas polynomials to polygonal-polyhedral meshes. Moreover, we investigate the stability properties of the associated $L^2$ discrete bilinear forms, which typically appear in the virtual element discretization of problems in electromagnetism.

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