A convergent finite element method with minimal deformation rate for mean curvature flow

Fuente: arXiv
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Hauptverfasser: Huang, Tiantian, Li, Buyang, Tang, Rong
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2026
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author Huang, Tiantian
Li, Buyang
Tang, Rong
author_facet Huang, Tiantian
Li, Buyang
Tang, Rong
contents We propose and analyze a fully discrete parametric finite element method with minimal deformation rate (MDR) for simulating the mean curvature flow of general closed surfaces in three dimensions. The method is formulated from a coupled system that enforces the mean curvature flow law for the normal velocity while introducing an artificial tangential velocity that minimizes the deformation-rate energy, thereby preserving mesh quality without requiring remeshing or reparametrization. An $L^{2}$-projected averaged normal vector is used in the scheme to facilitate a rigorous convergence analysis. Within the projected--distance framework, we establish the first complete convergence proof for a parametric finite element method that incorporates the MDR tangential motion without relying on evolution equations for the mean curvature or the normal vector, achieving optimal-order error estimates for finite elements of degree $k \ge 3$. Numerical experiments corroborate the theoretical results and demonstrate that the proposed MDR method maintains mesh quality comparable to the Barrett--Garcke--Nürnberg method, for which convergence has not yet been established.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2602_14405
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A convergent finite element method with minimal deformation rate for mean curvature flow
Huang, Tiantian
Li, Buyang
Tang, Rong
Numerical Analysis
65M15, 65M60, 53E10, 35K65
We propose and analyze a fully discrete parametric finite element method with minimal deformation rate (MDR) for simulating the mean curvature flow of general closed surfaces in three dimensions. The method is formulated from a coupled system that enforces the mean curvature flow law for the normal velocity while introducing an artificial tangential velocity that minimizes the deformation-rate energy, thereby preserving mesh quality without requiring remeshing or reparametrization. An $L^{2}$-projected averaged normal vector is used in the scheme to facilitate a rigorous convergence analysis. Within the projected--distance framework, we establish the first complete convergence proof for a parametric finite element method that incorporates the MDR tangential motion without relying on evolution equations for the mean curvature or the normal vector, achieving optimal-order error estimates for finite elements of degree $k \ge 3$. Numerical experiments corroborate the theoretical results and demonstrate that the proposed MDR method maintains mesh quality comparable to the Barrett--Garcke--Nürnberg method, for which convergence has not yet been established.
title A convergent finite element method with minimal deformation rate for mean curvature flow
topic Numerical Analysis
65M15, 65M60, 53E10, 35K65
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.14405