Algorithm 839: FIAT, a new paradigm for computing finite element basis functions

Much of finite element computation is constrained by the difficulty of evaluating high-order nodal basis functions. While most codes rely on explicit formulae for these basis functions, we present a new approach that allows us to construct a general class of finite element basis functions from orthonormal polynomials and evaluate and differentiate them at any points. This approach relies on fundamental ideas from linear algebra and is implemented in Python using several object-oriented and functional programming techniques.

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