Multiscale finite element methods for high-contrast problems using local spectral basis functions Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • In this paper we study multiscale finite element methods (MsFEMs) using spectral multiscale basis functions that are designed for high-contrast problems. Multiscale basis functions are constructed using eigenvectors of a carefully selected local spectral problem. This local spectral problem strongly depends on the choice of initial partition of unity functions. The resulting space enriches the initial multiscale space using eigenvectors of local spectral problem. The eigenvectors corresponding to small, asymptotically vanishing, eigenvalues detect important features of the solutions that are not captured by initial multiscale basis functions. Multiscale basis functions are constructed such that they span these eigenfunctions that correspond to small, asymptotically vanishing, eigenvalues. We present a convergence study that shows that the convergence rate (in energy norm) is proportional to (H/*)1/2, where * is proportional to the minimum of the eigenvalues that the corresponding eigenvectors are not included in the coarse space. Thus, we would like to reach to a larger eigenvalue with a smaller coarse space. This is accomplished with a careful choice of initial multiscale basis functions and the setup of the eigenvalue problems. Numerical results are presented to back-up our theoretical results and to show higher accuracy of MsFEMs with spectral multiscale basis functions. We also present a hierarchical construction of the eigenvectors that provides CPU savings. 2010.

published proceedings

  • JOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS

author list (cited authors)

  • Efendiev, Y., Galvis, J., & Wu, X.

citation count

  • 187

complete list of authors

  • Efendiev, Yalchin||Galvis, Juan||Wu, Xiao-Hui

publication date

  • February 2011