Data assimilation finite element method for the linearized Navier-Stokes equations with higher order polynomial approximation

Abstract: In this article, we design and analyze an arbitrary-order stabilized finite element method to approximate the unique continuation problem for laminar steady flow described by the linearized incompressible Navier--Stokes equation. We derive quantitative local error estimates for the velocity, which account for noise level and polynomial degree, using the stability of the continuous problem in the form of a conditional stability estimate. Numerical examples illustrate the performances of the method with respect to the polynomial order and perturbations in the data. We observe that the higher order polynomials may be efficient for ill-posed problems, but are also more sensitive for problems with poor stability due to the ill-conditioning of the system.