Optimal error estimates of mixed FEMs for second order hyperbolic integro-differential equations with minimal smoothness on initial data

Abstract

In this article, mixed finite element methods are discussed for a class of hyperbolic integro-differential equations (HIDEs). Based on a modification of the nonstandard energy formulation of Baker, both semidiscrete and completely discrete implicit schemes for an extended mixed method are analyzed and optimal L^{\infty}(L^2)-error estimates are derived under minimal smoothness assumptions on the initial data. Further, quasi-optimal estimates are shown to hold in L^{\infty}(L^{\infty})-norm. Finally, the analysis is extended to the standard mixed method for HIDEs and optimal error estimates in L^{\infty}(L^2)-norm are derived again under minimal smoothness on initial data.