Accurate, high-order representation of complex three-dimensional surfaces via Fourier continuation analysis

  • Authors:

  • Oscar P. Bruno;Youngae Han;Matthew M. Pohlman

  • Affiliations:

  • Applied and Computational Mathematics, 1200 E California Boulevard, M/C 217-50, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125, United States;Applied and Computational Mathematics, 1200 E California Boulevard, M/C 217-50, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125, United States;Areté Associates, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403, United States

  • Venue:
  • Journal of Computational Physics
  • Year:
  • 2007

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Abstract

We present a new method for construction of high-order parametrizations of surfaces: starting from point clouds, the method we propose can be used to produce full surface parametrizations (by sets of local charts, each one representing a large surface patch - which, typically, contains thousands of the points in the original point-cloud) for complex surfaces of scientific and engineering relevance. The proposed approach accurately renders both smooth and non-smooth portions of a surface: it yields super-algebraically convergent Fourier series approximations to a given surface up to and including all points of geometric singularity, such as corners, edges, conical points, etc. In view of their C^~ smoothness (except at true geometric singularities) and their properties of high-order approximation, the surfaces produced by this method are suitable for use in conjunction with high-order numerical methods for boundary value problems in domains with complex boundaries, including PDE solvers, integral equation solvers, etc. Our approach is based on a very simple concept: use of Fourier analysis to continue smooth portions of a piecewise smooth function into new functions which, defined on larger domains, are both smooth and periodic. The ''continuation functions'' arising from a function f converge super-algebraically to f in its domain of definition as discretizations are refined. We demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed approach for a number of surfaces of engineering relevance.