This paper deals with the visualization of numerical results as a very convenient method to understand and evaluate a solution which has been calculated as a set of millions of numerical values. One of the central research fields of the Chemnitz SFB 393 is the analysis of parallel numerical algorithms for large systems of linear equations arising from differential equations (e.g. in solid and fluid mechanics). Solving large problems on massively parallel computers makes it more and more impossible to store numerical data from the distributed memory of the parallel computer to the disk for later postprocessing. However, the developer of algorithms is interested in an on-line response of his algorithms. Both visual and numerical response of the running program may be evaluated by the user for a decision how to switch or adjust interactively certain parameters that may influence the solution process. The paper gives a survey of current programmer and user interfaces that are used in our various 2D and 3D parallel finite element programs for the visualization of the solution.

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.

In this paper, finite element discretizations of the degenerated operator -&omega;²(y) u_xx-&omega;²(x)u_yy=g in the unit square are investigated, where the weight function satisfies &omega;(&xi;)=&xi;^&alpha; with &alpha; &ge; 0. We propose two multi-level methods in order to solve the resulting system of linear algebraic equations. The first method is a multi-grid algorithm with line-smoother. A proof of the smoothing property is given. The second method is a BPX-like preconditioner which we call MTS-BPX preconditioner. We show that the upper eigenvalue bound of the MTS-BPX preconditioned system matrix grows proportionally to the level number.

In the adaptive finite element method, the solution of a p.d.e. is approximated from finer and finer meshes, which are controlled by error estimators. So, starting from a given coarse mesh, some elements are subdivided a couple of times. We investigate the question of avoiding instabilities which limit this process from the fact that nodal coordinates of one element coincide in more and more leading digits. In a previous paper the stable calculation of the Jacobian matrices of the element mapping was given for straight line triangles, quadrilaterals and hexahedrons. Here, we generalize this ideas to linear and quadratic triangles on curved boundaries.

In this paper, a uniformly elliptic second order boundary value problem in 2D is discretized by the p-version of the finite element method. An inexact Dirichlet-Dirichlet domain decomposition pre-conditioner for the system of linear algebraic equations is investigated. The solver for the problem in the sub-domains and a pre-conditioner for the Schur-complement are proposed as ingredients for the inexact DD-pre-conditioner. Finally, several numerical experiments are given.

In this paper, a mixed boundary value problem for the Laplace-Beltrami operator is considered for spherical domains in $R^3$, i.e. for domains on the unit sphere. These domains are parametrized by spherical coordinates (\varphi, \theta), such that functions on the unit sphere are considered as functions in these coordinates. Careful investigation leads to the introduction of a proper finite element space corresponding to an isotropic triangulation of the underlying domain on the unit sphere. Error estimates are proven for a Clément-type interpolation operator, where appropriate, weighted norms are used. The estimates are applied to the deduction of a reliable and efficient residual error estimator for the Laplace-Beltrami operator.

On a large class of two-dimensional anisotropic meshes, the inf-sup condition (stability) is proved for the triangular and quadrilateral finite element pairs suggested by Bernardi/Raugel and Fortin. As a consequence the pairs ${\cal P}_2-{\cal P}_0$, ${\cal Q}_2-{\cal P}_0$, and ${\cal Q}_2^\prime-{\cal P}_0$ turn out to be stable independent of the aspect ratio of the elements.

The paper is concerned with the Nitsche mortaring in the framework of domain decomposition where non-matching meshes and weak continuity of the finite element approximation at the interface are admitted. The approach is applied to singularly perturbed reaction-diffusion problems in 2D. Non-matching meshes of triangles being anisotropic in the boundary layers are applied. Some properties as well as error estimates of the Nitsche mortar finite element schemes are proved. In particular, using a suitable degree of anisotropy of triangles in the boundary layers of a rectangle, we derive convergence rates as known for the conforming finite element method in presence of regular solutions. Numerical examples illustrate the approach and the results.

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. The simplest local error estimator from the implementation point of view is the so-called hierarchical error estimator. The reliability proof is usually based on two prerequisites: the saturation assumption and the strengthened Cauchy-Schwarz inequality. The proofs of these facts are extended in the present work for the case of the singularly perturbed reaction-diffusion equation and of the meshes with anisotropic elements. It is shown that the constants in the corresponding estimates do neither depend on the aspect ratio of the elements, nor on the perturbation parameters. Utilizing the above arguments the concluding reliability proof is provided as well as the efficiency proof of the estimator, both independent of the aspect ratio and perturbation parameters.

The development of adaptive finite element procedures for the solution of geometrically and physically nonlinear problems in structural mechanics is very important for the augmentation of the efficiency of FE-codes. In this contribution methods of mesh refinement as well as mesh coarsening are presented for a material model considering finite elasto-plastic deformations. For newly generated elements stresses, strains and internal variables have to be calculated. This implies the determination of the nodal values as well as the Gaussian point values of the new elements based on the transfer of data from the former mesh. Analogously, the coarsening of less important elements necessitates the determination of these values for the newly created father elements.