On the Inf-Sup Stability of Crouzeix-Raviart Stokes Elements in 3D

Abstract: We consider non-conforming discretizations of the stationary Stokes equation in three spatial dimensions by Crouzeix-Raviart type elements. The original definition in the seminal paper by M. Crouzeix and P.-A. Raviart in 1973 is implicit and also contains substantial freedom for a concrete choice. In this paper, we introduce basic Crouzeix-Raviart basis functions in 3D in analogy to the 2D case in a fully explicit way. We prove that this basic CrouzeixRaviart element for the Stokes equation is inf-sup stable for polynomial degree $k =2$ (quadratic velocity approximation). We identify spurious pressure modes for the conforming $(k; k - 1)$ 3D Stokes element and show that these are eliminated by using the basic Crouzeix-Raviart space.