PRINCIPLES OF MIMETIC

DISCRETIZATIONS OF
DIFFERENTIAL OPERATORS
A Research Paper By:
Bochev, P.B. and Hyman, J.M.

Presented By:
Md. Hasan Ansari(071/MSCS/655)

Introduction
Partial differential equations (PDEs) are ubiquitous in science

and engineering.
Key step in its Numerical solution is discretization.
Replace PDEs by the system of Algebraic Equations
Discretization must be compatible or mimetic
The fundamental properties of continuum equations must be retained or
preserved
Eg. Divergence of a Curl must equal zero. ( ( u) = 0 )
Curl of the gradient = 0 ( f = 0 )

This paper focus on obtaining such mimetic discrete versions

of the differential operators like Gradient, Divergence, Curl

and Laplacian

Introduction
Methods Popularly used for compatible discretization:
Finite Difference Method (FDM)
Finite Element Method (FEM)
Finite Volume Method (FVM)

The paper provides a common framework for mimetic

discretization using algebraic topology.

Main idea of the paper is the use of two basic mappings
between differential forms and cochains:
A Reduction Map R and
A Reconstruction Map I

The choice of I results the methods FDM, FEM or FVM.

Differential forms

Approach to multivariable calculus that is independent of

coordinates.

The vector space for algebraic k-form denoted by: k

0-forms are scalar functions of the form f(x,y,z) Point

(Scalar)
1-forms are expressions of the form
f(x,y,z)dx+g(x,y,z)dy+h(x,y,z)dz

f(x,y,z)i+g(x,y,z)j+h(x,y,z)k

Path

(vector)

2-forms are expressions of the form

f(x,y,z)dydz+g(x,y,z)dzdx+h(x,y,z)dxdy Surface (Vector)
3-forms are expressions of the form

Volume (Scalar)
Wedge Product : k xl k+l for k+l <= n
f(x,y,z)dx dy dz

Similar to cross product BUT it results bivector

Differential forms

The Hodge star operator relates zero-forms with three-

forms and one-forms with two-forms according to the

relationships:
1 = dx dy dz and dx = dy dz, dy = dzdx, dz = dxdy

Also, = 1, so that dydz = dx

To generalize : k n-k

Exterior derivative d :
exterior derivative of a differential form of degree k is a

differential form of degree k + 1. ie. d : k k+1 such

that
d(k l) = (dk) l + (1)kk (dl) ; k + l < n
Also, exterior derivative satisfies - dd = 0 and give rise to exact
curl
grad
div
sequence:
Called the De Rham Complex.

Cochains
A k-Chain: formal linear combination of k-simplexes
A k-simplex sk is an ordered collection [p0, . . . , pk] of (k

+ 1), k <= n distinct points in Rn

A set of k-chains is denoted by Ck.
The boundary of a k-simplex is (k 1)-chain
The collection {C0,C1,C2,C3} is called chain complex if for
any cCk, cCk1. This gives rise to an exact sequence

Where, k : Ck+1 Ck is boundary operator

The dual Ck is the collection of all linear
onfunctionals
k-chains that follows
=0
on C k.
The
elements of Ck are called k-cochains. < . , . > denote duality
pairing such that
<a,c> = <a,c> , Where CkCk+1 is coboundary satisfying and
forms

Reduction Map R
Maps differential k-forms to k-cochains by using De

Rham Map
so our R is De Rham Map for reduction operation
The map is defined by

Where, cCk is k-cochain and

k(is a k-form

The mapping R establishes discrete

representation of k-forms

Reconstruction Map I
operation I that serves as an approximate inverse

to R and translates the global information stored

in Ck back to local representations.
I is flexible because of the many possible ways in
which global data from Ck can be combined in a
local field representation.
Two basic conditions:
= id [I must be right inverse of R] (consistency
property)

RI

IR = id + O(hs) [I must be approximate left inverse of R]

(approximation Property)
where s and h are positive real numbers that give the
approximation order and the partition size in K, respectively.

Thank You