In this paper, we present extensive numerical tests showing the performanceand robustness of a Balancing Neumann-Neumann method for the solution of algebraic linear systems arising from hp finite element approximations of scalar ellipticproblems on geometrically refined boundary layer meshes inthree dimensions. The numerical results are in good agreement with the theoretical bound for the condition number of the preconditioned operator derived in [Toselli and Vasseur, IMA J. Numer. Anal.24 (2004) 123–156]. They confirm that the condition numbers are independent of theaspect ratio of the mesh and of potentially large jumps of thecoefficients. Good results are also obtained for certain singularly perturbed problems. The condition numbers only grow polylogarithmically with thepolynomial degree, as in the case of p approximations on shape-regular meshes [Pavarino, RAIRO: Modél. Math. Anal. Numér.31 (1997) 471–493]. This paper follows [Toselli and Vasseur, Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Engrg.192 (2003) 4551–4579] on two dimensional problems.

We present an improved, near-optimal hp error estimate for a non-conforming finite element method, called the mortar method (M0). We also present a new hp mortaring technique, called the mortar method (MP), and derive h, p and hp error estimates for it, in the presence of quasiuniform and non-quasiuniform meshes. Our theoretical results, augmented by the computational evidence we present, show that like (M0), (MP) is also a viable mortaring technique for the hp method.