Improved enrichments and numerical integrations in SGFEM for interface problems

Abstract

Generalized/extended finite element methods (GFEM/XFEM) for an interface problem are generally enriched by a distance function to the interface to handle discontinuities across the interface. Evaluations of the distance function and its gradients are needed for assembling stiffness matrices, which requires certain computational geometry algorithms. The computational complexity grows if the number of integration points is increased. Besides, the mathematical analysis on the effect of numerical integration has not been established in the field of GFEM/XFEM yet. This study designs an improved enriched function for a stable GFEM (SGFEM, a stable version of GFEM) based on the distance function, which only requires evaluating the distance function at nodes of elements that interact the interface (the gradients of distance function are not needed). The optimal convergence order (in the energy norm) of the SGFEM with such an improved enriched function is proven. In turn, we propose a perturbed variational formula, which can be integrated exactly by simple Gaussian rules designed in this paper. We prove that the SGFEM based on the improved enriched function and the perturbed variational formula (exactly integrated by the numerical integration) achieves the optimal convergence order for the interface problem. Namely, we develop a numerical integration rule for the SGFEM such that the optimal convergence order of SGFEM is maintained for the interface problem. The theoretical achievements are verified by numerical experiments.