Overcoming Geometric Limitations in the Finite Element Method by Means of Polynomial Extension

In this dissertation, we present a new approach for approximating the solution of second order partial differential equations and interface problems. This approach is based on the classical finite element method, where instead of using geometric manipulations to fit the discrete domain to the curved domain given by the continuous problem, we use polynomial extensions to enforce that a suitably constructed extension of the numerical solution matches the boundary condition given by the continuous problem in the weak sense. This method is thus aptly named the Polynomial Extension Finite Element Method (PE--FEM). Using this approach, we may approximate the solution of elliptic interface problems by enforcing that the extension of the solution on their respective subdomains matches weakly the continuity conditions prescribed by the continuous problem on a curved interface. This method is then called the Method of Virtual Interfaces (MVI), since, while the continuous interface exists in the context of the continuous problem, it is virtual in the context of its numerical approximation. The key benefits of this polynomial extension approach is that it is simple to implement and that it is optimally convergent with respect to the best approximation results given by interpolation. Theoretical analysis and computational results are presented.