A mixed finite element method for the unilateral contact problem in elasticity

摘要

In this paper, we provide a new mixed finite element approximation of the variational inequality resulting from the unilateral contact problem in elasticity. We use the continuous piecewise P2-P1 finite element to approximate the displacement field and the normal stress component on the contact region. Optimal convergence rates are obtained under the reasonable regularity hypotheses. Numerical example verifies our results.