Discrete maximum principles for nonlinear elliptic finite element problems on Riemannian manifolds with boundary

Abstract: The maximum principle forms an important qualitative property of second order elliptic equations, therefore its discrete analogues, the so-called discrete maximum principles (DMPs) have drawn much attention. In this paper DMPs are established for nonlinear surface finite element problems on Riemannian manifolds, corresponding to the classical pointwise maximum principles on surfaces in the spirit of Pucci et al. Various real-life examples illustrate the scope of the results.