A Bernstein-Bézier basis for arbitrary order Raviart-Thomas finite elements (Q2257717)

This paper deals with the ideas of conforming finite element approximation of the space \(H(\text{div})\) on triangulations. Bernstein polynomials are used to construct bases for these and more general spaces. The authors seek a basis that gives a clear separation between what are sometimes termed the curls of the Bernstein polynomial basis for the \(H^1\) space and the noncurls that characterizes the specific \(H(\text{div})\) Raviart-Thomas finite element space.