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Low-regularity finite element elasticity complexes with hybridizable stresses on tetrahedral Alfeld splits

Numerical Analysis 2026-07-02 v1

Abstract

Finite element elasticity complexes of low regularity are constructed on tetrahedral Alfeld splits. In comparison with existing three-dimensional elasticity complexes on such splits, the complexes constructed here lower both the Sobolev regularity and the polynomial degrees, while ending in a hybridizable H(div;S)H({\rm div};\mathbb S)-conforming symmetric stress space with no vertex degrees of freedom. The construction is obtained from local Bernstein-Gelfand-Gelfand arguments applied to polynomial de Rham complexes on the Alfeld split. Two local polynomial elasticity complexes are proved: an H2H^2-H1(inc)H^1({\rm inc}) complex and a lower-regularity H1(curl)H^1({\rm curl})-H(inc+)H({\rm inc}^+) complex. Their bubble subcomplexes and dimension formulas are derived. These local exact sequences lead to unisolvent finite elements for the displacement and incompatibility spaces and to global finite element subcomplexes of the corresponding elasticity sequences. In the lowest-order H1(curl)H^1({\rm curl})-H(inc+)H({\rm inc}^+) finite element complex, the H(inc+;S)H({\rm inc}^+;\mathbb S)-conforming tensor space is piecewise cubic. At the same order, the terminal stress-displacement pair recovers the Johnson-Mercier-K\v{r}\'{i}\v{z}ek element, while the construction covers higher-order hybridizable symmetric stresses for all k1k\ge1. A second family gives a low-regularity H1H^1-H(inc)H({\rm inc}) finite element complex for the standard elasticity sequence for all k2k\ge2. Commuting interpolation diagrams are established for both global complexes.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2607.01933,
  title  = {Low-regularity finite element elasticity complexes with hybridizable stresses on tetrahedral Alfeld splits},
  author = {Johnny Guzmán and Xuehai Huang},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2607.01933},
  year   = {2026}
}

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23 pages