MULTIGRID METHODS FOR THE PURE TRACTION PROBLEM OF LINEAR ELASTICITY - MIXED FORMULATION

A multigrid method using conforming P-1 finite elements is developed f or the two-dimensional pure traction boundary value problem of linear elasticity. The convergence is uniform even as the material becomes ne arly incompressible. A heuristic argument for acceleration of the mult igrid method is discussed as well. Numerical results with and without this acceleration as well as performance estimates on a parallel compu ter are included.