A remark on finite element schemes for nearly incompressible elasticity

In this paper we discuss mixed finite element methods for nearly incompressible elasticity. We show that if a method uses the hydrostatic pressure as unknown, then the finite element spaces have to satisfy the condition of the ellipticity on the kernel, in addition to the well-known Babuska-Brezzi condition. Some known elements are proved to satisfy this condition. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.