A new weak Galerkin finite element method for elliptic interface problems

A new weak Galerkin (WG) finite element method is introduced and analyzed in this paper for solving second order elliptic equations with discontinuous coefficients and interfaces. Comparing with the existing WG algorithm for solving the same type problems, the present WG method has a simpler variational formulation and fewer unknowns. Moreover, the new WG algorithm allows the use of finite element partitions consisting of general polytopal meshes and can be easily generalized to high orders. Optimal order error estimates in both H-1 and L-2 norms are established for the present WG finite element solutions. Extensive numerical experiments have been conducted to examine the accuracy, flexibility, and robustness of the proposed WG interface approach. In solving regular elliptic interface problems, high order convergences are numerically confirmed by using piecewise polynomial basis functions of high degrees. Moreover, the WG method is shown to be able to accommodate very complicated interfaces, due to its flexibility in choosing finite element partitions. Finally, in dealing with challenging problems with low regularities, the piecewise linear WG method is capable of delivering a second order of accuracy in L infinity norm for both C-1 and H-2 continuous solutions. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.