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arXiv · 2602.14405

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

Tiantian Huang·Buyang Li·Rong Tang
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Abstract

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--N\"urnberg method, for which convergence has not yet been established.

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Tiantian Huang, Buyang Li, Rong Tang. 2026-02-16. A convergent finite element method with minimal deformation rate for mean curvature flow. https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.14405

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