Implementation and Basis Construction for Smooth Finite Element Spaces

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Chen, Chunyu, Chen, Long, Gao, Tingyi, Huang, Xuehai, Wei, Huayi
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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_version_ 1866912502518906880
author Chen, Chunyu
Chen, Long
Gao, Tingyi
Huang, Xuehai
Wei, Huayi
author_facet Chen, Chunyu
Chen, Long
Gao, Tingyi
Huang, Xuehai
Wei, Huayi
contents The construction of $C^m$ conforming finite elements on simplicial meshes has recently advanced through the groundbreaking work of Hu, Lin, and Wu (Found. Comput. Math. 24, 2024). Their framework characterizes smoothness via moments of normal derivatives over subsimplices, leading to explicit degrees of freedom and unisolvence, unifying earlier constructions. However, the absence of explicit basis functions has left these spaces largely inaccessible for practical computation. In parallel, multivariate spline theory (Chui and Lai, J. Approx. Theory 60, 1990) enforces $C^m$ smoothness through linear constraints on Bernstein--Bézier coefficients, but stable, locally supported bases remain elusive beyond low dimensions. Building on the geometric decomposition of the simplicial lattice proposed by Chen and Huang (Math. Comp. 93, 2024), this work develops an explicit, computable framework for smooth finite elements. The degrees of freedom defined by moments of normal derivatives are modified to align with the dual basis of the Bernstein polynomials, yielding structured local bases on each simplex. Explicit basis construction is essential not merely for completeness, but for enabling efficient matrix assembly, global continuity, and scalable solution of high-order elliptic partial differential equations. This development closes the gap between theoretical existence and practical realization, making smooth finite element methods accessible to broad computational applications.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_19732
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Implementation and Basis Construction for Smooth Finite Element Spaces
Chen, Chunyu
Chen, Long
Gao, Tingyi
Huang, Xuehai
Wei, Huayi
Numerical Analysis
65N30, 65N12, 31B30
The construction of $C^m$ conforming finite elements on simplicial meshes has recently advanced through the groundbreaking work of Hu, Lin, and Wu (Found. Comput. Math. 24, 2024). Their framework characterizes smoothness via moments of normal derivatives over subsimplices, leading to explicit degrees of freedom and unisolvence, unifying earlier constructions. However, the absence of explicit basis functions has left these spaces largely inaccessible for practical computation. In parallel, multivariate spline theory (Chui and Lai, J. Approx. Theory 60, 1990) enforces $C^m$ smoothness through linear constraints on Bernstein--Bézier coefficients, but stable, locally supported bases remain elusive beyond low dimensions. Building on the geometric decomposition of the simplicial lattice proposed by Chen and Huang (Math. Comp. 93, 2024), this work develops an explicit, computable framework for smooth finite elements. The degrees of freedom defined by moments of normal derivatives are modified to align with the dual basis of the Bernstein polynomials, yielding structured local bases on each simplex. Explicit basis construction is essential not merely for completeness, but for enabling efficient matrix assembly, global continuity, and scalable solution of high-order elliptic partial differential equations. This development closes the gap between theoretical existence and practical realization, making smooth finite element methods accessible to broad computational applications.
title Implementation and Basis Construction for Smooth Finite Element Spaces
topic Numerical Analysis
65N30, 65N12, 31B30
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.19732