arXiv subjects

Václav Kučera

Publications and source records attributed to Václav Kučera.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

The Tempered Finite Element Method

In this paper, we propose a new approach -- the Tempered Finite Element Method (TFEM) -- that extends the Finite Element Method (FEM) to classes of meshes that include zero-measure or nearly degenerate elements for which standard FEM approaches do not allow convergence. First, we review why the maximum angle condition [2] is not necessary for FEM convergence and what are the real limitations in terms of meshes. Next, we propose a simple modification of the classical FEM for elliptic problems that provably allows convergence for a wider class of meshes including bands of caps that cause locking of the solution in standard FEM formulations. The proposed method is trivial to implement in an existing FEM code and can be theoretically analyzed. We prove that in the case of exactly zero-measure elements it corresponds to mortaring. We show numerically and theoretically that what we propose is functional and sound. The remainder of the paper is devoted to extensions of the TFEM method to linear elasticity, mortaring of non-conforming meshes, high-order elements, and advection.

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arXiv2026

Taming Slivers: A Robust TFEM Framework for Reliable Computations on Degenerate Tetrahedral Meshes

Sliver elements are an intrinsic difficulty of three-dimensional tetrahedral mesh generation and remain costly, and sometimes impractical, to eliminate completely. Although isolated degenerate elements do not necessarily prevent finite element convergence, connected clusters or sheets of slivers may impose artificial constraints on the discrete solution, leading to locking and severe loss of accuracy. In this work, we revisit the effect of slivers from the viewpoint of the finite element solution and propose a robust solver-side treatment based on the Tempered Finite Element Method (TFEM). The method limits the singular contribution of degenerate elements by introducing a lower bound on the Jacobian determinant, which can be interpreted as a vanishing added-volume correction. The resulting formulation prevents the effective element volume from falling below a threshold while preserving the relevant physical modes of the solution. We analyze the stiffness matrices of degenerate tetrahedra, identify the mechanisms responsible for locking in sliver bands, and assess the method on a range of representative physical problems, including incompressible flow, Cahn--Hilliard phase-field dynamics, transient wave propagation, and vibro-acoustic fluid--structure interaction. The numerical results show that TFEM consistently recovers accurate and physically meaningful solutions on meshes for which standard FEM exhibits locking or loss of convergence, providing a simple and broadly applicable alternative to exhaustive geometric sliver removal.

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arXiv2026

DG = FEM + flat elements, Part I: Diffusion

We establish a simple, rigorous, and easy to implement connection between the classical continuous finite element method (FEM) and the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method for Poisson's problem. The key idea is to insert a vanishing-thickness layer of "dummy" elements along cell interfaces. By modifying the diffusion coefficient on these elements to be proportional to their thickness, we prove the FEM formulation converges to Babuška-Zlámal DG with trapezoidal edge quadrature. The scheme is trivial to implement by (i) a mesh edit that introduces degenerate interface elements and (ii) a single Jacobian threshold in an otherwise unmodified FEM code to handle the degenerate elements via the tempered finite element (TFEM) framework. We provide a rigorous derivation of the resulting TFEM-DG scheme, prove optimal $H^1$ and $L^2$ error estimates, and present numerical experiments in 2D and 3D. The method allows for simple implementation of DG in a FEM code and even adaptive element-by-element switching between FEM and DG with minimal coding effort. The framework is readily extensible, as we will demonstrate in a companion paper dedicated to evolutionary nonlinear first-order hyperbolic systems.

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arXiv2026

Symplectic Error of Implicit Symplectic Integrators: A Qualitative Structural Analysis

We study how inexact nonlinear solvers lead to a loss of exact symplecticity in the Symplectic Euler (SE) and Stormer-Verlet (SV) schemes when applied to general nonseparable Hamiltonian systems. These schemes are implicit and require nonlinear solvers in practice. Here, we consider a fixed number $M$ of fixed-point iterations (FPI). While SE is exactly symplectic under exact solves, a finite $M$ gives only pseudo-symplecticity. Compared to previous results, we provide a more qualitative, block-wise characterization of the induced pseudo-symplecticity by analyzing the resulting perturbations to the matrix of symplectic structure $J$. We prove that the perturbed matrix $\tilde{J}$ is skew-symmetric, that one diagonal block vanishes identically (depending on the SE variant), and that the remaining blocks are $O(h^{M+1})$ perturbations of their counterparts in $J$, with time step $h$. A quadratic Hamiltonian example shows these bounds are sharp. Extending to compositions, we quantify how SV inherits distinct decay orders across different blocks of the symplectic defect. As a corollary, we show that the perturbation of volume preservation in phase space arises solely from the off-diagonal blocks of $\tilde{J}$, and we bound the induced energy error along trajectories. Numerical experiments on a tokamak magnetic-field Hamiltonian, where q-implicit SE is fully nonlinear (requiring FPI) but p-implicit SE is linearly implicit, confirm the sharpness of the theory and highlight the gap to the exactly symplectic counterpart.

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arXiv2023

Godunov-like numerical fluxes for conservation laws on networks

This paper deals with the construction of a discontinuous Galerkin scheme for the solution of Lighthill-Whitham-Richards traffic flows on networks. The focus of the paper is the construction of two new numerical fluxes at junctions, which are based on the Godunov numerical flux. We analyze the basic properties of the two Godunov-based fluxes and the resulting scheme, namely conservativity and the traffic distribution property. We prove that if the junction is not congested, the traffic flows according to predetermined preferences of the drivers. Otherwise a small traffic distribution error is present, which we interpret as either the existence of dedicated turning lanes, or factoring of human behavior into the model. We compare our approach to that of Čanić et al. (J. Sci. Comput., 2015). Numerical experiments are provided.

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arXiv2020

Asymptotic properties of a class of linearly implicit schemes for weakly compressible Euler equations

In this paper we derive and analyse a class of linearly implicit schemes which includes the one of Feistauer and Kučera (JCP 2007) as well as the class of RS-IMEX schemes. The implicit part is based on a Jacobian matrix which is evaluated at a reference state. This state can be either the solution at the old time level as in Feistauer and Kučera (JCP 2007), or a numerical approximation of the incompressible limit equations as in Zeifang et al. (Commun. Comput. Phys. 2009), or possibly another state. Subsequently, it is shown that this class of methods is asymptotically preserving under the assumption of a discrete Hilbert expansion. For a one-dimensional setting with some limitations on the reference state, the existence of a discrete Hilbert expansion is shown.

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arXiv2020

Discontinuous Galerkin method for macroscopic traffic flow models on networks

In this paper, we describe a numerical technique for the solution of macroscopic traffic flow models on networks of roads. On individual roads, we consider the standard Lighthill-Whitham-Richards model which is discretized using the discontinuous Galerkin method along with suitable limiters. In order to solve traffic flows on networks, we construct suitable numerical fluxes at junctions based on preferences of the drivers. We prove basic properties of the constructed numerical flux and the resulting scheme and present numerical experiments, including a junction with complicated traffic light patterns with multiple phases. Differences with the approach to numerical fluxes at junctions from Čanić et al., 2015, are discussed and demonstrated numerically on a simple network.

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arXiv2017

On the time growth of the error of the DG method for advective problems

In this paper we derive a priori $L^\infty(L^2)$ and $L^2(L^2)$ error estimates for a linear advection-reaction equation with inlet and outlet boundary conditions. The goal is to derive error estimates for the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method that do not blow up exponentially with respect to time, unlike the usual case when Gronwall's inequality is used. While this is possible in special cases, such as divergence-free advection fields, we take a more general approach using exponential scaling of the exact and discrete solutions. Here we use a special scaling function, which corresponds to time taken along individual pathlines of the flow. For advection fields, where the time massless particles carried by the flow spend inside the spatial domain is uniformly bounded from above by some $\widehat{T}$, we derive $O(h^{p+1/2})$ error estimates where the constant factor depends only on $\widehat{T}$, but not on the final time $T$. This can be interpreted as applying Gronwall's inequality in the error analysis along individual pathlines (Lagrangian setting), instead of physical time (Eulerian setting).

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arXiv2016

On necessary and sufficient conditions for finite element convergence

In this paper we derive a necessary condition for finite element method (FEM) convergence in $H^1(Ω)$ as well as generalize known sufficient conditions. We deal with the piecewise linear conforming FEM on triangular meshes for Poisson's problem in 2D. In the first part, we prove a necessary condition on the mesh geometry for $O(h^α)$ convergence in the $H^1(Ω)$-seminorm with $α\in[0,1]$. We prove that certain structures, bands consisting of neighboring degenerating elements forming an alternating pattern cannot be too long with respect to $h$. This is a generalization of the Babu\v ska-Aziz counterexample and represents the first nontrivial necessary condition for finite element convergence. Using this condition we construct several counterexamples to various convergence rates in the FEM. In the second part, we generalize the maximum angle and circumradius conditions for $O(h^α)$ convergence. We prove that the triangulations can contain many elements violating these conditions as long as their maximum angle vertexes are sufficiently far from other degenerating elements or they form clusters of sufficiently small size. While a necessary and sufficient condition for $O(h^α)$ convergence in $H^1(Ω)$ remains unknown, the gap between the derived conditions is small in special cases.

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