The Conforming Virtual Element Method for Polyharmonic and Elastodynamics Problems: A Review

In this chapter we review recent results on the conforming virtual element approximation of polyharmonic and eleastodynamics problems. The structure and the content of this review is motivated by three paradigmatic examples of applications: classical and anisotropic Cahn-Hilliard equation and phase field models for brittle fracture, that are briefly discussed in the first part of the chapter. We present and discuss the mathematical details of the conforming virtual element approximation of linear polyharmonic problems, the classical Cahn-Hilliard equation and linear elastodynamics problems.