An optimal error estimate for a mixed finite element method for a biharmonic problem with clamped boundary conditions

Abstract: We consider a mixed finite element method for a biharmonic equation with clamped boundary conditions based on biorthogonal systems with weakly imposed Dirichlet boundary condition. We show that the weak imposition of the boundary condition arising from a natural minimisation formulation allows to get an optimal a priori error estimate for the finite element scheme improving the existing error estimate for such a formulation without weakly imposed Dirichlet boundary condition. We also briefly outline the algebraic formulation arising from the finite element method.