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Local error estimates for a finite element method for hyperbolic and convection-diffusion equations. (English) Zbl 0757.65104
Local error estimates are derived for a finite element method for two- dimensional hyperbolic and convection dominated equations. An approach for establishing local error estimates for the continuous method of W. H. Reed and T. R. Hill [Triangular mesh methods for the neutron transport equation. Los Alamos Sci. Laboratory Rep. LA-UR-73-479 (1973)] is used that is also applicable to the discontinuous Galerkin method, thus underscoring the close interrelationships between the two methods.
A continuous piecewise polynomial approximation of degree $$\geq 2$$ over a triangulation of $$\Omega\subset\mathbb{R}^ 2$$ is generated. It is shown that crosswind propagation of the numerical solution is limited to a distance $$O(\sqrt{h}\log h^{-1})$$, where $$h$$ is the mesh size. A rather simple test function depending only on the crosswind variable $$t$$ is applied for the analysis, what leads directly to stability results expressed in terms of this variable.
Reviewer: K.Zlateva (Russe)

##### MSC:
 65M60 Finite element, Rayleigh-Ritz and Galerkin methods for initial value and initial-boundary value problems involving PDEs 65M15 Error bounds for initial value and initial-boundary value problems involving PDEs 65M12 Stability and convergence of numerical methods for initial value and initial-boundary value problems involving PDEs 35L45 Initial value problems for first-order hyperbolic systems
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