A Flexible Galerkin Finite Element Method (FGM) is a hybrid class of finite element methods that combine the usual continuous Galerkin method with the now popular discontinuous Galerkin method (DGM). A detailed description of the formulation of the FGM on a hyperbolic partial differential equation, as well as the data structures used in the FGM algorithm is presented. Some hp-convergence results and computational cost are included. Additionally, an a posteriori error estimate for the DGM applied to a two-dimensional hyperbolic partial differential equation is constructed. Several examples, both linear and nonlinear, indicating the effectiveness of the error estimate are included. / Ph. D.

In this thesis, we present a simple and efficient \emph{a posteriori} error estimation procedure for a discontinuous finite element method applied to scalar first-order hyperbolic problems on structured and unstructured tetrahedral meshes. We present a local error analysis to derive a discontinuous Galerkin orthogonality condition for the leading term of the discretization error and find basis functions spanning the error for several finite element spaces. We describe an implicit error estimation procedure for the leading term of the discretization error by solving a local problem on each tetrahedron. Numerical computations show that the implicit \emph{a posteriori} error estimation procedure yields accurate estimates for linear and nonlinear problems with smooth solutions. Furthermore, we show the performance of our error estimates on problems with discontinuous solutions. We investigate pointwise superconvergence properties of the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method using enriched polynomial spaces. We study the effect of finite element spaces on the superconvergence properties of DG solutions on each class and type of tetrahedral elements. We show that, using enriched polynomial spaces, the discretization error on tetrahedral elements having one inflow face, is O(h^{p+2}) superconvergent on the three edges of the inflow face, while on elements with one inflow and one outflow faces the DG solution is O(h^{p+2}) superconvergent on the outflow face in addition to the three edges of the inflow face. Furthermore, we show that, on tetrahedral elements with two inflow faces, the DG solution is O(h^{p+2}) superconvergent on the edge shared by two of the inflow faces. On elements with two inflow and one outflow faces and on elements with three inflow faces, the DG solution is O(h^{p+2}) superconvergent on two edges of the inflow faces. We also show that using enriched polynomial spaces lead to a simpler{a posterior error estimation procedure. Finally, we extend our error analysis for the discontinuous Galerkin method applied to linear three-dimensional hyperbolic systems of conservation laws with smooth solutions. We perform a local error analysis by expanding the local error as a series and showing that its leading term is O( h^{p+1}). We further simplify the leading term and express it in terms of an optimal set of polynomials which can be used to estimate the error. / Ph. D.

To simulate real world problems modeled by differential equations, it is often not sufficient to  consider and tackle a single equation. Rather, complex phenomena are modeled by several partial dierential equations that are coupled to each other. For example, a heart beat involve electric activity, mechanics of the movement of the walls and valves, as well as blood fow - a true multiphysics problem. There may also be ordinary differential equations modeling the reactions on a cellular level, and these may act on a much finer scale in both space and time. Determining efficient and accurate simulation tools for such multiscalar multiphysics problems is a challenge. The five scientific papers constituting this thesis investigate and present solutions to issues regarding accurate and efficient simulation using adaptive finite element methods. These include handling local accuracy through submodeling, analyzing error propagation in time-dependent  multiphysics problems, developing efficient algorithms for adaptivity in time and space, and deriving error analysis for coupled PDE-ODE systems. In all these examples, the error is analyzed and controlled using the framework of dual-weighted residuals, and the spatial meshes are handled using octree based data structures. However, few realistic geometries fit such grid and to address this issue a discontinuous Galerkin Nitsche method is presented and analyzed.

In this thesis we focus on multiscale and multiphysics problems. We derive a posteriori error estimates for a one way coupled multiphysics problem, using the dual weighted residual method. Such estimates can be used to drive local mesh refinement in adaptive algorithms, in order to efficiently obtain good accuracy in a desired goal quantity, which we demonstrate numerically. Furthermore we prove existence and uniqueness of finite element solutions for a two way coupled multiphysics problem. The possibility of deriving dual weighted a posteriori error estimates for two way coupled problems is also addressed. For a two way coupled linear problem, we show numerically that unless the coupling of the equations is to strong the propagation of errors between the solvers goes to zero. We also apply a variational multiscale method to both an elliptic and a hyperbolic problem that exhibits multiscale features. The method is based on numerical solutions of decoupled local fine scale problems on patches. For the elliptic problem we derive an a posteriori error estimate and use an adaptive algorithm to automatically tune the resolution and patch size of the local problems. For the hyperbolic problem we demonstrate the importance of how to construct the patches of the local problems, by numerically comparing the results obtained for symmetric and directed patches.

Singularly perturbed reaction-diffusion problems exhibit in general solutions with anisotropic features, e.g. strong boundary and/or interior layers. This anisotropy is reflected in the discretization by using meshes with anisotropic elements. The quality of the numerical solution rests on the robustness of the a posteriori error estimator with respect to both the perturbation parameters of the problem and the anisotropy of the mesh. An estimator that has shown to be one of the most reliable for reaction-diffusion problem is the <i>equilibrated residual method</i> and its modification done by Ainsworth and Babuška for singularly perturbed problem. However, even the modified method is not robust in the case of anisotropic meshes. The present work modifies the equilibrated residual method for anisotropic meshes. The resulting error estimator is equivalent to the equilibrated residual method in the case of isotropic meshes and is proved to be robust on anisotropic meshes as well. A numerical example confirms the theory.

The thesis presents a comprehensive study of a posteriori error estimation in the adaptive solution to some classical elliptic partial differential equations. Several new error estimators are proposed for diffusion problems with discontinuous coefficients and for convection-reaction-diffusion problems with dominated convection/reaction. The robustness of the new estimators is justified theoretically. Extensive numerical results demonstrate the robustness of the new estimators for challenging problems and indicate that, compared to the well-known residual-type estimators, the new estimators are much more accurate.

This thesis is concerned with the finite element analysis and the a posteriori error estimation for eigenvalue problems for general operator pencils on two-dimensional manifolds. A specific application of the presented theory is the computation of corner singularities. Engineers use the knowledge of the so-called singularity exponents to predict the onset and the propagation of cracks. All results of this thesis are explained for two model problems, the Laplace and the linear elasticity problem, and verified by numerous numerical results.

Dans le contexte industriel actuel, où la simulation numérique joue un rôle majeur, de nombreux outils sont développés afin de rendre les calculs les plus performants et exacts possibles en utilisant les ressources numériques de façon optimale. Parmi ces outils, ceux non-intrusifs, c’est-à-dire ne modifiant pas les codes commerciaux disponibles mais permettant d’utiliser des méthodes de résolution avancées telles que l’analyse isogéométrique ou les couplages multi-échelles, apparaissent parmi les plus attirants pour les industriels. L’objectif de cette thèse est ainsi de coupler l’Analyse IsoGéométrique (AIG) et la Méthode des Éléments Finis (MEF) standard pour l’analyse de détails structuraux par une approche non-intrusive et certifiée. Dans un premier temps, on développe un lien global approché entre les fonctions de Lagrange, classiquement utilisées en éléments finis et les fonctions NURBS bases de l’AIG, ce qui permet d’implémenter des analyses isogéométriques dans un code industriel EF vu comme une boîte noire. Au travers d’exemples linéaires et non-linéaires implémentés dans le code industriel Code_Aster de EDF, nous démontrons l’efficacité de ce pont AIG\MEF et les possibilités d’applications industrielles. Il est aussi démontré que ce lien permet de simplifier l’implémentation du couplage non-intrusif entre un problème global isogéométrique et un problème local éléments finis. Ensuite, le concept de couplage non-intrusif entre les méthodes étant ainsi possible, une stratégie d’adaptation est mise en place afin de certifier ce couplage vis-à-vis d’une quantité d’intérêt. Cette stratégie d’adaptation est basée sur des méthodes d’estimation d’erreur a posteriori. Un estimateur global et des indicateurs d’erreur d’itération, de modèle et de discrétisation permettent de piloter la définition du problème couplé. La méthode des résidus est utilisée pour évaluer ces erreurs dans des cas linéaires, et une extension aux problèmes non-linéaires via le concept d’Erreur en Relation de Comportement (ERC) est proposée. / In the current industrial context where the numerical simulation plays a major role, a large amount of tools are developed in order to perform accurate and effective simulations using as less numerical resources as possible. Among all these tools, the non-intrusive ones which do not modify the existing structure of commercial softwares but allowing the use of advanced solving methods, such as isogeometric analysis or multi-scale coupling, are the more attractive to the industry. The goal of these thesis works is thus the coupling of the Isogeometric Analysis (IGA) with the Finite Element Method (FEM) to analyse structural details with a non-intrusive and certified approach. First, we develop an approximate global link between the Lagrange functions, commonly used in the FEM, and the NURBS functions on which the IGA is based. It’s allowed the implementation of isogeometric analysis in an existing finite element industrial software considering as a black-box. Through linear and nonlinear examples implemented in the industrial software Code_Aster of EDF, we show the efficiency of the IGA\FEM bridge and all the industrial applications that can be made. This link is also a key to simplify the non-intrusive coupling between a global isogeometric problem and a local finite element problem. Then, as the non-intrusive coupling between both methods is possible, an adaptive process is introduced in order to certify this coupling regarding a quantity of interest. This adaptive strategy is based on a posteriori error estimation. A global estimator and indicators of iteration, model and discretization error sources are computed to control the definition of the coupled problem. Residual base methods are performed to estimated errors for linear cases, an extension to the concept of constitutive relation errors is also initiated for non-linear problems.

De nombreux problèmes de mécanique des structures nécessitent la résolution de plusieurs problèmes numériques semblables. Une approche itérative de type réduction de modèle, la Proper Generalized Decomposition (PGD), permet de déterminer l’ensemble des solutions en une fois, par l’introduction de paramètres supplémentaires. Cependant, un frein majeur à son utilisation dans le monde industriel est l’absence d’estimateur d’erreur robuste permettant de mesurer la qualité des solutions obtenues. L’approche retenue s’appuie sur le concept d’erreur en relation de comportement. Cette méthode consiste à construire des champs admissibles, assurant ainsi l’aspect conservatif et garanti de l’estimation de l’erreur en réutilisant le maximum d’outils employés dans le cadre éléments finis. La possibilité de quantifier l’importance des différentes sources d’erreur (réduction et discrétisation) permet de plus de piloter les principales stratégies de résolution PGD. Deux stratégies ont été proposées dans ces travaux. La première s’est principalement limitée à post-traiter une solution PGD pour construire une estimation de l’erreur commise, de façon non intrusive pour les codes PGD existants. La seconde consiste en une nouvelle stratégie PGD fournissant une approximation améliorée couplée à une estimation de l’erreur commise. Les diverses études comparatives sont menées dans le cadre des problèmes linéaires thermiques et en élasticité. Ces travaux ont également permis d’optimiser les méthodes de construction de champs admissibles en substituant la résolution de nombreux problèmes semblables par une solution PGD, exploitée comme un abaque. / Many structural mechanics problems require the resolution of several similar numerical problems. An iterative model reduction approach, the Proper Generalized Decomposition (PGD), enables the control of the main solutions at once, by the introduction of additional parameters. However, a major drawback to its use in the industrial world is the absence of a robust error estimator to measure the quality of the solutions obtained.The approach used is based on the concept of constitutive relation error. This method consists in constructing admissible fields, thus ensuring the conservative and guaranteed aspect of the estimation of the error by reusing the maximum number of tools used in the finite elements framework. The ability to quantify the importance of the different sources of error (reduction and discretization) allows to control the main strategies of PGD resolution.Two strategies have been proposed in this work. The first was limited to post-processing a PGD solution to construct an estimate of the error committed, in a non-intrusively way for existing PGD codes. The second consists of a new PGD strategy providing an improved approximation associated with an estimate of the error committed. The various comparative studies are carried out in the context of linear thermal and elasticity problems.This work also allowed us to optimize the admissible fields construction methods by substituting the resolution of many similar problems by a PGD solution, exploited as a virtual chart.

When the finite element method is used to solve boundary value problems, the corresponding finite element mesh is appropriate if it is reflects the behavior of the true solution. A posteriori error estimators are suited to construct adequate meshes. They are useful to measure the quality of an approximate solution and to design adaptive solution algorithms. Singularly perturbed problems yield in general solutions with anisotropic features, e.g. strong boundary or interior layers. For such problems it is useful to use anisotropic meshes in order to reach maximal order of convergence. Moreover, the quality of the numerical solution rests on the robustness of the a posteriori error estimation with respect to both the anisotropy of the mesh and the perturbation parameters. There exist different possibilities to measure the a posteriori error in the energy norm for the singularly perturbed reaction-diffusion equation. One of them is the equilibrated residual method which is known to be robust as long as one solves auxiliary local Neumann problems exactly on each element. We provide a basis for an approximate solution of the aforementioned auxiliary problem and show that this approximation does not affect the quality of the error estimation. Another approach that we develope for the a posteriori error estimation is the hierarchical error estimator. The robustness proof for this estimator involves some stages including the strengthened Cauchy-Schwarz inequality and the error reduction property for the chosen space enrichment. In the rest of the work we deal with adaptive algorithms. We provide an overview of the existing methods for the isotropic meshes and then generalize the ideas for the anisotropic case. For the resulting algorithm the error reduction estimates are proven for the Poisson equation and for the singularly perturbed reaction-difussion equation. The convergence for the Poisson equation is also shown. Numerical experiments for the equilibrated residual method, for the hierarchical error estimator and for the adaptive algorithm confirm the theory. The adaptive algorithm shows its potential by creating the anisotropic mesh for the problem with the boundary layer starting with a very coarse isotropic mesh.