Ws,p-approximation properties of elliptic projectors on polynomial spaces, with application to the error analysis of a Hybrid High-Order discretisation of Leray–Lions problems

Abstract

In this work, we prove optimal [Formula: see text]-approximation estimates (with [Formula: see text]) for elliptic projectors on local polynomial spaces. The proof hinges on the classical Dupont–Scott approximation theory together with two novel abstract lemmas: An approximation result for bounded projectors, and an [Formula: see text]-boundedness result for [Formula: see text]-orthogonal projectors on polynomial subspaces. The [Formula: see text]-approximation results have general applicability to (standard or polytopal) numerical methods based on local polynomial spaces. As an illustration, we use these [Formula: see text]-estimates to derive novel error estimates for a Hybrid High-Order (HHO) discretisation of Leray–Lions elliptic problems whose weak formulation is classically set in [Formula: see text] for some [Formula: see text]. This kind of problems appears, e.g. in the modelling of glacier motion, of incompressible turbulent flows, and in airfoil design. Denoting by [Formula: see text] the meshsize, we prove that the approximation error measured in a [Formula: see text]-like discrete norm scales as [Formula: see text] when [Formula: see text] and as [Formula: see text] when [Formula: see text].