On nonlocal problems with Neumann boundary conditions: scaling and convergence for nonlocal operators and solutions

Abstract

Formulations of Neumann-type boundary conditions for boundary value problems in the nonlocal framework are beset with difficulties, some related to the choice of a proper scaling. Here we identify a space-dependent scaling for a nonlocal Neumann operator, for which we prove linear in δ (δ being the radius for the support for the kernel) convergence of the Neumann operator and O(δ2) convergence of solutions to their classical counterparts. The pointwise-like convergence of the nonlocal normal operator is cast as a new type of two-scale operator-point convergence, which we call condensated convergence. The results hold for general integrable kernels, a setting which is favored in numerical simulations. We support this analysis with numerical convergence studies using a piecewise linear discontinuous Galerkin discretization and show an O(δ2) rate of convergence of solutions, also exhibiting an O(h2) convergence, where h is the mesh size.