A Posteriori Error Control at Numerical Solution of Plate Bending Problem

Abstract

The classical approach to a posteriori error control considered in this paper bears on the counter variational principles of Lagrange and Castigliano. Its efficient implementation for problems of mechanics of solids assumes obtaining equilibrated stresses/resultants which, at the same time, are sufficiently close to the exact values. Besides, it is important that computation of the error bound with the use of such stresses/resultants would be cheap in respect to the arithmetic work. Following these guide lines, we expand the preceding results for elliptic partial differential equations and theory elasticity equations upon the problem of thin plate bending. We obtain guaranteed a posteriori error bounds of simple forms for solutions by the finite element method and discuss the algorithms of linear complexity for their computation. The approach of the paper also allows to improve some known general a posteriori estimates by means of arbitrary not equilibrated stress fields.