Skip to main content
Log in

On the finite volume element method

  • Published:
Numerische Mathematik Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The finite volume element method (FVE) is a discretization technique for partial differential equations. It uses a volume integral formulation of the problem with a finite partitioning set of volumes to discretize the equations, then restricts the admissible functions to a finite element space to discretize the solution. this paper develops discretization error estimates for general selfadjoint elliptic boundary value problems with FVE based on triangulations with linear finite element spaces and a general type of control volume. We establishO(h) estimates of the error in a discreteH 1 semi-norm. Under an additional assumption of local uniformity of the triangulation the estimate is improved toO(h 2). Results on the effects of numerical integration are also included.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Adams, R.A.: Sobolev spaces. Ed. New York: Academic Press 1975

    Google Scholar 

  2. Baliga, B.R., Patankar, S.V.: A new finite-element formulation for convection-diffusion problems. Numer. Heat Transfer3, 393–409 (1980)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bank, R.E., Rose, D.J.: Some error estimates for the box method. SIAM J. Numer. Anal.24, 777–787 (1987)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bramble, J.H., Hilbert, S.R.: Estimation of linear functionals on Sobolev spaces with application to Fourier transforms and spline interpolation. SIAM J. Numer. Anal.7, 112–124 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Cai, Z.: A theoretical foundation of the finite volume element method. Ph. D. Thesis, University of Colorado at Denver, May 1990

  6. Cai, Z., Mandel, J., McCormick, S.: The finite volume element method for diffusion equations on general triangulations. SIAM J. Numer. Anal. (to appear)

  7. Cai, Z., McCormick, S.: On the accuracy of the finite volume element method for diffusion equations on composite grids. SIAM J. Numer. Anal.27, 636–655 (1990)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Ciarlet, P.G.: The finite element method for elliptic problems. Amsterdam. North-Holland 1978

    Google Scholar 

  9. Ewing, R.E., Lazarov, R.D., Vassilevski, P.S.: Local refinement techniques for elliptic problems on cell-centered grids. Univ. Wyoming E.O.R.I. rep. no 1888-16

  10. Hachbusch, W.: On first and second order box schemes. Computing41, 277–296 (1989)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Heinrich, B.: Finite difference methods on irregular networks. Basel: Birkhäuser 1987

    Google Scholar 

  12. Kadlec, J.: On the regularity of the solution of the Poisson equation on a domain with boundary locally similar to the boundary of a convex domain. Czechoslovak Math. J.14, 386–393 (1964)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Kreiss, H.O., Manteuffel, T.A., Swartz, B., Wendroff, B., White, A.B.: Supraconvergent schemes on irregular grids. Math. Comput.47, 537–554 (1986)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Manteuffel, T.A., White, A.B.: The numerical solution of second-order boundary value problems on nonuniform meshes. Math. Comput.47, 511–535 (1986)

    Google Scholar 

  15. McCormick, S., Thomas, J.: The fast adaptive composite grid method (FAC) for elliptic boundary value problems. Math. Comput.6, 439–456 (1986)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Nečas, J.: Les méthodes directes en théorie des equations elliptiques. Paris: Masson 1967

    Google Scholar 

  17. Oganesjan, A., Ruchovec, L.A.: Variational methods of solving elliptic equations (in Russian). Erevan, Izd. AN Arm. SSR, 1979

    Google Scholar 

  18. Zlámal, M.: On the finite element method. Numer. Math.12, 394–409 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

This research was sponsored in part by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under grant number AFOSR-86-0126 and the National Science Foundation under grant number DMS-8704169. This work was performed while the author was at the University of Colorado at Denver

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cai, Z. On the finite volume element method. Numer. Math. 58, 713–735 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01385651

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01385651

Subject classifications

Navigation