The finite element method (FEM) is based on a variational formulation of Maxwell’s equations that involves integral expressions on the computational domain. Unlike, for example the finite-difference method which approximates Maxwell’s equations directly (via approximation of the differential operators), the FEM leaves Maxwell’s equations completely intact but approximates the solution space in which one tries to find a reasonable approximation to the exact solution. This solution space is obtained by subdividing the computational domain into small patches and by providing a number of polynomials on each patch for the approximation of the solution. The patches together with the local polynomials defined on them are ...
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