Semi-coarsening AMLI algorithms for elasticity problems.

The constant γ in the strengthened Cauchy-Buniakowski-Schwarc (CBS) inequality plays a key role in the convergence analysis of the multilevel iterative methods. We consider in this paper the approximation of the two-dimensional elasticity problem by bilinear rectangle finite elements. Two semi-coarsening refinement procedures are studied. We prove for both cases new estimates of the constant γ, uniformly on the Poisson ratio. As a result of the presented analysis we obtain an optimal order algebraic multiLevel iteration (AMLI) method for the case of balanced semi-coarsening mesh refinement. The total computational complexity of the algorithm is proportional to the size of the discrete problem with a proportionality constant independent of the Poisson ratio, that is, the algorithm is of optimal order for almost incompressible elasticity problems. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]