We consider a family of variational time discretizations that generalizes discontinuous Galerkin (dG) and continuous Galerkin-Petrov (cGP) methods. In addition to variational conditions the methods also contain collocation conditions in the time mesh points. The single family members are characterized by two parameters that represent the local polynomial ansatz order and the number of non-variational conditions, which is also related to the global temporal regularity of the numerical solution. Moreover, with respect to Dahlquist’s stability problem the variational time discretization (VTD) methods either share their stability properties with the dG or the cGP method and, hence, are at least A-stable. With this thesis, we present the first comprehensive theoretical study of the family of VTD methods in the context of non-stiff and stiff initial value problems as well as, in combination with a finite element method for spatial approximation, in the context of parabolic problems. Here, we mainly focus on the error analysis for the discretizations. More concrete, for initial value problems the pointwise error is bounded, while for parabolic problems we rather derive error estimates in various typical integral-based (semi-)norms. Furthermore, we show superconvergence results in the time mesh points. In addition, some important concepts and key properties of the VTD methods are discussed and often exploited in the error analysis. These include, in particular, the associated quadrature formulas, a beneficial postprocessing, the idea of cascadic interpolation, connections between the different VTD schemes, and connections to other classes of methods (collocation methods, Runge-Kutta-like methods). Numerical experiments for simple academic test examples are used to highlight various properties of the methods and to verify the optimality of the proven convergence orders.:List of Symbols and Abbreviations Introduction I Variational Time Discretization Methods for Initial Value Problems 1 Formulation, Analysis for Non-Stiff Systems, and Further Properties 1.1 Formulation of the methods 1.1.1 Global formulation 1.1.2 Another formulation 1.2 Existence, uniqueness, and error estimates 1.2.1 Unique solvability 1.2.2 Pointwise error estimates 1.2.3 Superconvergence in time mesh points 1.2.4 Numerical results 1.3 Associated quadrature formulas and their advantages 1.3.1 Special quadrature formulas 1.3.2 Postprocessing 1.3.3 Connections to collocation methods 1.3.4 Shortcut to error estimates 1.3.5 Numerical results 1.4 Results for affine linear problems 1.4.1 A slight modification of the method 1.4.2 Postprocessing for the modified method 1.4.3 Interpolation cascade 1.4.4 Derivatives of solutions 1.4.5 Numerical results 2 Error Analysis for Stiff Systems 2.1 Runge-Kutta-like discretization framework 2.1.1 Connection between collocation and Runge-Kutta methods and its extension 2.1.2 A Runge-Kutta-like scheme 2.1.3 Existence and uniqueness 2.1.4 Stability properties 2.2 VTD methods as Runge-Kutta-like discretizations 2.2.1 Block structure of A VTD 2.2.2 Eigenvalue structure of A VTD 2.2.3 Solvability and stability 2.3 (Stiff) Error analysis 2.3.1 Recursion scheme for the global error 2.3.2 Error estimates 2.3.3 Numerical results II Variational Time Discretization Methods for Parabolic Problems 3 Introduction to Parabolic Problems 3.1 Regularity of solutions 3.2 Semi-discretization in space 3.2.1 Reformulation as ode system 3.2.2 Differentiability with respect to time 3.2.3 Error estimates for the semi-discrete approximation 3.3 Full discretization in space and time 3.3.1 Formulation of the methods 3.3.2 Reformulation and solvability 4 Error Analysis for VTD Methods 4.1 Error estimates for the l th derivative 4.1.1 Projection operators 4.1.2 Global L2-error in the H-norm 4.1.3 Global L2-error in the V-norm 4.1.4 Global (locally weighted) L2-error of the time derivative in the H-norm 4.1.5 Pointwise error in the H-norm 4.1.6 Supercloseness and its consequences 4.2 Error estimates in the time (mesh) points 4.2.1 Exploiting the collocation conditions 4.2.2 What about superconvergence!? 4.2.3 Satisfactory order convergence avoiding superconvergence 4.3 Final error estimate 4.4 Numerical results Summary and Outlook Appendix A Miscellaneous Results A.1 Discrete Gronwall inequality A.2 Something about Jacobi-polynomials B Abstract Projection Operators for Banach Space-Valued Functions B.1 Abstract definition and commutation properties B.2 Projection error estimates B.3 Literature references on basics of Banach space-valued functions C Operators for Interpolation and Projection in Time C.1 Interpolation operators C.2 Projection operators C.3 Some commutation properties C.4 Some stability results D Norm Equivalences for Hilbert Space-Valued Polynomials D.1 Norm equivalence used for the cGP-like case D.2 Norm equivalence used for final error estimate Bibliography

A triangular B-spline (DMS-spline)-based finite element method (TBS-FEM) is proposed along with possible enrichment through discontinuous Galerkin, continuous-discontinuous Galerkin finite element (CDGFE) and stabilization techniques. The developed schemes are also numerically explored, to a limited extent, for weak discretizations of a few second order partial differential equations (PDEs) of interest in solid mechanics. The presently employed functional approximation has both affine invariance and convex hull properties. In contrast to the Lagrangian basis functions used with the conventional finite element method, basis functions derived through n-th order triangular B-splines possess (n ≥ 1) global continuity. This is usually not possible with standard finite element formulations. Thus, though constructed within a mesh-based framework, the basis functions are globally smooth (even across the element boundaries). Since these globally smooth basis functions are used in modeling response, one can expect a reduction in the number of elements in the discretization which in turn reduces number of degrees of freedom and consequently the computational cost. In the present work that aims at laying out the basic foundation of the method, we consider only linear triangular B-splines. The resulting formulation thus provides only a continuous approximation functions for the targeted variables. This leads to a straightforward implementation without a digression into the issue of knot selection, whose resolution is required for implementing the method with higher order triangular B-splines. Since we consider only n = 1, the formulation also makes use of the discontinuous Galerkin method that weakly enforces the continuity of first derivatives through stabilizing terms on the interior boundaries. Stabilization enhances the numerical stability without sacrificing accuracy by suitably changing the weak formulation. Weighted residual terms are added to the variational equation, which involve a mesh-dependent stabilization parameter. The advantage of the resulting scheme over a more traditional mixed approach and least square finite element is that the introduction of additional unknowns and related difficulties can be avoided. For assessing the numerical performance of the method, we consider Navier’s equations of elasticity, especially the case of nearly-incompressible elasticity (i.e. as the limit of volumetric locking approaches). Limited comparisons with results via finite element techniques based on constant-strain triangles help bring out the advantages of the proposed scheme to an extent.

We present the analysis for the higher order continuous Galerkin−Petrov (cGP) time discretization schemes in combination with the one-level local projection stabilization in space applied to time-dependent convection-diffusion-reaction problems. Optimal a priori error estimates will be proved. Numerical studies support the theoretical results. Furthermore, a numerical comparison between continuous Galerkin−Petrov and discontinuous Galerkin time discretization schemes will be given.

This work develops a discontinuous Galerkin finite element discretization of non- linear hyperbolic conservation equations with efficient and robust high order stabilization built on an entropy-based artificial viscosity approximation. The solutions of equations are represented by elementwise polynomials of an arbitrary degree p > 0 which are continuous within each element but discontinuous on the boundaries. The discretization of equations in time is done by means of high order explicit Runge-Kutta methods identified with respective Butcher tableaux. To stabilize a numerical solution in the vicinity of shock waves and simultaneously preserve the smooth parts from smearing, we add some reasonable amount of artificial viscosity in accordance with the physical principle of entropy production in the interior of shock waves. The viscosity coefficient is proportional to the local size of the residual of an entropy equation and is bounded from above by the first-order artificial viscosity defined by a local wave speed. Since the residual of an entropy equation is supposed to be vanishingly small in smooth regions (of the order of the Local Truncation Error) and arbitrarily large in shocks, the entropy viscosity is almost zero everywhere except the shocks, where it reaches the first-order upper bound. One- and two-dimensional benchmark test cases are presented for nonlinear hyperbolic scalar conservation laws and the system of compressible Euler equations. These tests demonstrate the satisfactory stability properties of the method and optimal convergence rates as well. All numerical solutions to the test problems agree well with the reference solutions found in the literature. We conclude that the new method developed in the present work is a valuable alternative to currently existing techniques of viscous stabilization.