The virtual element method for an obstacle problem of a Kirchhoff-Love plate

This paper is devoted to the numerical solution of a fourth-order elliptic variational inequality of the first kind by the virtual element method (VEM). The variational inequality models an obstacle problem for the Kirchhoff-Love plate. Both conforming and fully nonconforming VEMs are studied to solve the fourth-order elliptic variational inequality. Optimal order error estimates are derived in the discrete energy norm, under certain solution...