Non-conforming FEM for the quasi-static contact problem

Abstract

In this article, we addressed the numerical solution of a non-linear evolutionary variational inequality, which is encountered in the investigation of quasi-static contact problems. Our study encompasses both the semi-discrete and fully-discrete schemes, where we employ the backward Euler method for time discretization and utilize the lowest order Crouzeix-Raviart nonconforming finite element method for spatial discretization. By assuming appropriate regularity conditions on the solution, we establish \emph{a priori} error analysis for these schemes, achieving the optimal convergence order for linear elements. To illustrate the numerical convergence rates, we provide numerical results on a two-dimensional test problem.