A broken Hardy inequality on finite element space and application to strain gradient elasticity

Abstract

We illustrate a broken Hardy inequality on discontinuous finite element spaces, blowing up with a logarithmic factor with respect to the meshes size. This is motivated by numerical analysis for the strain gradient elasticity with natural boundary conditions. A mixed finite element pair is employed to solve this model with nearly incompressible materials. This pair is quasi-stable with a logarithmic factor, which is not significant in the approximation error, and converges robustly in the incompressible limit and uniformly in the microscopic material parameter. Numerical results back up that the theoretical predictions are nearly optimal. Moreover, the regularity estimates for the model over a smooth domain have been proved with the aid of the Agmon-Douglis-Nirenberg theory.