Grad–div stabilization and subgrid pressure models for the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations

In this paper the grad–div stabilization for the incompressible Navier–Stokes finite element approximations is considered from two different viewpoints: (i) as a variational multiscale approach for the pressure subgrid modeling and (ii) as a stabilization procedure of least-square type. Some new error estimates for the linearized problem with the grad–div stabilization are proved with the help of norms induced by the pressure Schur complement operator. We discuss the stabilization parameter choice arising in the frameworks of least-square and multiscale methods and consider assumptions which allow to relate both approaches.