B-spline-Based ALE-MFS Framework for Evolving Domains

TL;DR

This paper introduces a B-spline based ALE-MFS method for simulating curvature-driven evolution of 2D domains, offering meshless, accurate, and robust handling of complex shapes and large deformations.

Contribution

It presents a novel B-spline based ALE-MFS framework with adaptive boundary reconstruction, error estimation, and improved mesh quality for evolving domain simulations.

Findings

Zero-padded least-squares improves accuracy for nonconvex shapes

The method produces high-quality meshes with larger minimum angles

Square collocation is sufficient for moderate geometries

Abstract

We develop and analyze a B-spline based arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian method of fundamental solutions (ALE-MFS) for curvature-driven motion of two-dimensional evolving domains. Boundary points move with the material to track the geometric flow, while interior points move within an ALE framework via a harmonic extension of the boundary velocity, computed by a meshless MFS with sources on a fixed auxiliary circle, thus avoiding volumetric meshing. Boundary normals and curvature are reconstructed by an adaptive local B-spline scheme that remains robust for strongly nonconvex shapes and large deformations. A posteriori error estimates are obtained from a hatmatrix formulation of leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) for both square collocation and zero-padded least-squares systems, and are complemented by maximum principle indicators for harmonic problems. Numerical experiments on circular, star-shaped, and amoeba-like domains show that square collocation suffices for moderately complex geometries, while zero-padded least-squares significantly improves interior velocity regularity and pointwise transport accuracy for strongly nonconvex shapes, without altering the source or collocation sets. The ALE-MFS algorithm also generates high-quality moving meshes for ALE-finite element methods, with larger minimum angles and slower mesh ratio growth than classical FEM mesh-motion strategies, suggesting a practical and easily integrable alternative for challenging moving-interface simulations.