A stabilizer-free pressure-robust finite element method for the Stokes equations

Abstract: In this paper, we introduce a new finite element method for solving the Stokes equations in the primary velocity-pressure formulation. This method employs $H(div)$ finite elements to approximate velocity, which leads to two unique advantages: exact divergence free velocity field and pressure-robustness. In addition, this method has a simple formulation without any stabilizer or penalty term. Optimal-order error estimates are established for the corresponding numerical approximation in various norms. Extensive numerical investigations are conducted to test accuracy and robustness of the method and to confirm the theory. The numerical examples cover low and high order approximations up to the degree four, and 2D and 3D cases.