In an anisotropic adaptive finite element algorithm one usually needs an error estimator that yields the error size but also the stretching directions and stretching ratios of the elements of a (quasi) optimal anisotropic mesh. However the last two ingredients can not be extracted from any of the known anisotropic a posteriori error estimators. Therefore a heuristic approach is pursued here, namely, the desired information is provided by the so-called Hessian strategy. This strategy produces favourable anisotropic meshes which result in a small discretization error. The focus of this paper is on error estimation on anisotropic meshes. It is known that such error estimation is reliable and efficient only if the anisotropic mesh is aligned with the anisotropic solution. The main result here is that the Hessian strategy produces anisotropic meshes that show the required alignment with the anisotropic solution. The corresponding inequalities are proven, and the underlying heuristic assumptions are given in a stringent yet general form. Hence the analysis provides further inside into a particular aspect of anisotropic error estimation.

In an anisotropic adaptive finite element algorithm one usually needs an error estimator that yields the error size but also the stretching directions and stretching ratios of the elements of a (quasi) optimal anisotropic mesh. However the last two ingredients can not be extracted from any of the known anisotropic a posteriori error estimators. Therefore a heuristic approach is pursued here, namely, the desired information is provided by the so-called Hessian strategy. This strategy produces favourable anisotropic meshes which result in a small discretization error. The focus of this paper is on error estimation on anisotropic meshes. It is known that such error estimation is reliable and efficient only if the anisotropic mesh is aligned with the anisotropic solution. The main result here is that the Hessian strategy produces anisotropic meshes that show the required alignment with the anisotropic solution. The corresponding inequalities are proven, and the underlying heuristic assumptions are given in a stringent yet general form. Hence the analysis provides further inside into a particular aspect of anisotropic error estimation.

We consider a posteriori error estimators that can be applied to anisotropic tetrahedral finite element meshes, i.e. meshes where the aspect ratio of the elements can be arbitrarily large. Two kinds of Zienkiewicz-Zhu (ZZ) type error estimators are derived which are both based on some recovered gradient. Two different, rigorous analytical approaches yield the equivalence of both ZZ error estimators to a known residual error estimator. Thus reliability and efficiency of the ZZ error estimation is obtained. Particular attention is paid to the requirements on the anisotropic mesh. The analysis is complemented and confirmed by several numerical examples.

The paper deals with a singularly perturbed reaction diffusion model problem. The focus is on reliable a posteriori error estimators for the H^1 seminorm that can be applied to anisotropic finite element meshes. A residual error estimator and a local problem error estimator are proposed and rigorously analysed. They are locally equivalent, and both bound the error reliably. Furthermore three modifications of these estimators are introduced and discussed. Numerical experiments for all estimators complement and confirm the theoretical results.

The paper is concerned with the finite element resolution of layers appearing in singularly perturbed problems. A special anisotropic grid of Shishkin type is constructed for reaction diffusion problems. Estimates of the finite element error in the energy norm are derived for two methods, namely the standard Galerkin method and a stabilized Galerkin method. The estimates are uniformly valid with respect to the (small) diffusion parameter. One ingredient is a pointwise description of derivatives of the continuous solution. A numerical example supports the result. Another key ingredient for the error analysis is a refined estimate for (higher) derivatives of the interpolation error. The assumptions on admissible anisotropic finite elements are formulated in terms of geometrical conditions for triangles and tetrahedra. The application of these estimates is not restricted to the special problem considered in this paper.

The numerical solution of the convection-diffusion-reaction problem is considered in two and three dimensions. A stabilized finite element method of Galerkin/Least squares type accomodates diffusion-dominated as well as convection- and/or reaction- dominated situations. The resolution of boundary layers occuring in the singularly perturbed case is accomplished using anisotropic mesh refinement in boundary layer regions. In this paper, the standard analysis of the stabilized Galerkin method on isotropic meshes is extended to more general meshes with boundary layer refinement. Simplicial Lagrangian elements of arbitrary order are used.

In an anisotropic adaptive finite element algorithm one usually needs an error estimator that yields the error size but also the stretching directions and stretching ratios of the elements of a (quasi) optimal anisotropic mesh. However the last two ingredients can not be extracted from any of the known anisotropic a posteriori error estimators. Therefore a heuristic approach is pursued here, namely, the desired information is provided by the so-called Hessian strategy. This strategy produces favourable anisotropic meshes which result in a small discretization error. The focus of this paper is on error estimation on anisotropic meshes. It is known that such error estimation is reliable and efficient only if the anisotropic mesh is aligned with the anisotropic solution. The main result here is that the Hessian strategy produces anisotropic meshes that show the required alignment with the anisotropic solution. The corresponding inequalities are proven, and the underlying heuristic assumptions are given in a stringent yet general form. Hence the analysis provides further inside into a particular aspect of anisotropic error estimation.

In an anisotropic adaptive finite element algorithm one usually needs an error estimator that yields the error size but also the stretching directions and stretching ratios of the elements of a (quasi) optimal anisotropic mesh. However the last two ingredients can not be extracted from any of the known anisotropic a posteriori error estimators. Therefore a heuristic approach is pursued here, namely, the desired information is provided by the so-called Hessian strategy. This strategy produces favourable anisotropic meshes which result in a small discretization error. The focus of this paper is on error estimation on anisotropic meshes. It is known that such error estimation is reliable and efficient only if the anisotropic mesh is aligned with the anisotropic solution. The main result here is that the Hessian strategy produces anisotropic meshes that show the required alignment with the anisotropic solution. The corresponding inequalities are proven, and the underlying heuristic assumptions are given in a stringent yet general form. Hence the analysis provides further inside into a particular aspect of anisotropic error estimation.

The paper deals with a singularly perturbed reaction diffusion model problem. The focus is on reliable a posteriori error estimators for the H^1 seminorm that can be applied to anisotropic finite element meshes. A residual error estimator and a local problem error estimator are proposed and rigorously analysed. They are locally equivalent, and both bound the error reliably. Furthermore three modifications of these estimators are introduced and discussed. Numerical experiments for all estimators complement and confirm the theoretical results.

The presented work deals with the discontinuous Galerkin method with the anisotropic mesh adaptation for stationary convection-diffusion problems. Basic definitions are included in an introduction where we also present the used method. The following parts describe various methods for evaluating a Riemann metric, which is necessary for anisotropic mesh adaptation. The most important part of work follows - numerical experiments carried out with ADGFEM and ANGENER software packages. In these experiments, we compare different approaches for the definition of Riemann metrics and compare their efficiency. The main output of this thesis are subroutines for evaluation of the Riemann metric including its source code.