A \(C^1\) quadratic trivariate macro-element space defined over arbitrary tetrahedral partitions (Q1019159)

The paper gives an algorithm for the construction of trivariate macro-element spaces based on \(C^1\) quadratic splines defined over a split of each tetrahedron from an arbitrary tetrahedral partition of a polyhedral set in \(\mathbb{R}^3\). This procedure improves the construction given by \textit{A. J. Worsey} and \textit{B. Piper} [Comput. Aided Geom. Design 5, 177--186 (1988; Zbl 0654.65008)] for the same case of trivariate macro-element spaces of \(C^1\) quadratic splines. But the latter can be used only for very particular admissible tetrahedral partitions and it does not give an algorithm for the refinement of admissible partitions. In contrast, the new method given here allows, by recursive splitting of tetrahedrons of an arbitrary tetrahedral partition, to obtain indefinite refinements of the micro-elements. The importance of this method is not only theoretical but it is also very practical.