Splines and PDEs: From Approximation Theory to Numerical Linear Algebra

Book excerpt: This book takes readers on a multi-perspective tour through state-of-the-art mathematical developments related to the numerical treatment of PDEs based on splines, and in particular isogeometric methods. A wide variety of research topics are covered, ranging from approximation theory to structured numerical linear algebra. More precisely, the book provides (i) a self-contained introduction to B-splines, with special focus on approximation and hierarchical refinement, (ii) a broad survey of numerical schemes for control problems based on B-splines and B-spline-type wavelets, (iii) an exhaustive description of methods for computing and analyzing the spectral distribution of discretization matrices, and (iv) a detailed overview of the mathematical and implementational aspects of isogeometric analysis. The text is the outcome of a C.I.M.E. summer school held in Cetraro (Italy), July 2017, featuring four prominent lecturers with different theoretical and application perspectives. The book may serve both as a reference and an entry point into further research.