Robust fully discrete error bounds for the Kuznetsov equation in the inviscid limit

Abstract The Kuznetsov equation is a classical wave model of nonlinear acoustics that incorporates quadratic gradient nonlinearities. When its strong damping vanishes, it undergoes a singular behavior change, switching from a parabolic-like to a hyperbolic quasilinear evolution. In this work, we devise an analytical framework that allows establishing optimal error bounds for its finite element approximation as well as a semi-implicit fully discrete approximation that are robust with respect to the vanishing damping parameter. The core of the new arguments lies in deriving suitable energy estimates directly for the error equation where one can more easily exploit the polynomial structure of the nonlinearities and compensate inverse estimates with smallness conditions on the error. Numerical experiments are included to illustrate the theoretical results.