Optimal strong convergence of a splitting mixed finite element method for a stochastic Keller--Segel system

Source abstract

In this work, we develop and analyze a splitting mixed finite element method, combined with a fully implicit Euler time discretization, for a stochastic Keller--Segel system with general polynomial logistic growth and multiplicative noise. The proposed splitting formulation allows the use of standard finite element spaces without requiring the LBB inf--sup condition associated with traditional mixed finite element methods and, at each time step, avoids the need for solving a coupled nonlinear system. We first establish the well-posedness of the variational solution and derive new high-moment, higher-order regularity, and exponential stability estimates. These estimates provide the key analytical foundation for the strong convergence analysis of the numerical method. A principal contribution of this work is the derivation of error estimates directly in full expectation, without the use of localization arguments. By combining the new stability and regularity estimates with a stochastic Gronwall framework, we overcome the difficulties arising from the interaction between the nonlinear chemotactic coupling and the multiplicative noise. As a result, we establish strong convergence in high-moment norms and obtain optimal convergence rates with respect to both the temporal and spatial discretizations. In particular, the proposed method achieves the optimal rates of order $k^{\frac{1}{2}}$ in time and $h$ in space in the relevant $L^2$- and $H^1$-based error norms. These results provide, to our knowledge, the first optimal strong convergence analysis in full expectation for a splitting mixed finite element approximation of this class of stochastic Keller--Segel systems.