Learning Differentiable Weak-Form Corrections to Accelerate Finite Element Simulations

Fuente: arXiv
Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
Hauptverfasser: Jung, Junoh, Constantinescu, Emil
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2026
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:
Tags: Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
_version_ 1866910003030392832
author Jung, Junoh
Constantinescu, Emil
author_facet Jung, Junoh
Constantinescu, Emil
contents We present a differentiable weak-form learning approach for accelerating finite element simulations. Rather than introducing black-box source terms in the strong form of the governing equations, we augment the momentum equation directly in the variational (weak) form with parameterized bilinear operators. The coefficients of these operators are learned from high-resolution simulations so that unresolved small-scale dynamics can be represented on coarse grids. Applying the correction at the weak-form level aligns the learned model with the finite element discretization, preserving key numerical structure and better respecting the fundamental properties of incompressible flow. In the same setting, the approach yields solutions that are more accurate and more stable over long time horizons than comparable strong-form corrections. We implement the proposed method in the Firedrake finite element solver and evaluate it on benchmark problems, including the one-dimensional convection-diffusion equation and the two-dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. End-to-end differentiable training is enabled by coupling PyTorch with the Firedrake adjoint framework. Across these tests, the learned variational operators improve long-term accuracy while reducing computational cost. Overall, our results suggest that weak-form learning provides a principled, structure-preserving route to accurate and stable coarse-grid simulations of incompressible flows.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_20019
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Learning Differentiable Weak-Form Corrections to Accelerate Finite Element Simulations
Jung, Junoh
Constantinescu, Emil
Fluid Dynamics
We present a differentiable weak-form learning approach for accelerating finite element simulations. Rather than introducing black-box source terms in the strong form of the governing equations, we augment the momentum equation directly in the variational (weak) form with parameterized bilinear operators. The coefficients of these operators are learned from high-resolution simulations so that unresolved small-scale dynamics can be represented on coarse grids. Applying the correction at the weak-form level aligns the learned model with the finite element discretization, preserving key numerical structure and better respecting the fundamental properties of incompressible flow. In the same setting, the approach yields solutions that are more accurate and more stable over long time horizons than comparable strong-form corrections. We implement the proposed method in the Firedrake finite element solver and evaluate it on benchmark problems, including the one-dimensional convection-diffusion equation and the two-dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. End-to-end differentiable training is enabled by coupling PyTorch with the Firedrake adjoint framework. Across these tests, the learned variational operators improve long-term accuracy while reducing computational cost. Overall, our results suggest that weak-form learning provides a principled, structure-preserving route to accurate and stable coarse-grid simulations of incompressible flows.
title Learning Differentiable Weak-Form Corrections to Accelerate Finite Element Simulations
topic Fluid Dynamics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.20019