A Posteriori Error Estimation for Highly Indefinite Helmholtz Problems

Abstract.

We develop a new analysis for residual-type a posteriori error estimation for a class of highly indefinite elliptic boundary value problems by considering the Helmholtz equation at high wavenumber as our model problem. We employ a classical conforming Galerkin discretization by using hp-finite elements. In [Convergence analysis for finite element discretizations of the Helmholtz equation with Dirichlet-to-Neumann boundary conditions, Math. Comp., 79 (2010), pp. 1871–1914], Melenk and Sauter introduced an hp-finite element discretization which leads to a stable and pollution-free discretization of the Helmholtz equation under a mild resolution condition which requires only degrees of freedom, where denotes the spatial dimension. In the present paper, we will introduce an a posteriori error estimator for this problem and prove its reliability and efficiency. The constants in these estimates become independent of the, possibly, high wavenumber provided the aforementioned resolution condition for stability is satisfied. We emphasize that, by using the classical theory, the constants in the a posteriori estimates would be amplified by a factor k.