Dr Kaibo Hu, Royal Society University Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, has successfully received funding for his ERC Starting Grant “GeoFEM: Geometric Finite Element Methods”.

The project will address the fundamental problem of discretising high-order tensors by bringing together geometry, algebra, PDEs and numerical analysis to develop an algebraic framework and a systematic construction of tensorial finite elements with symmetries. By clarifying mathematical structures at both continuous and discrete levels, reliable methods for discretising the Einstein equations and continuum models with microstructures will be investigated. The new framework will also inspire the development of fundamental concepts and models, and establish novel connections between numerical schemes, discrete geometry, measure-valued solutions of PDEs, and discrete physics, e.g., quantum gravity and lattice gauge theory.

In total 494 Starting Grants were awarded to scientists across Europe to help them launch their own projects, form their teams and pursue their most promising ideas.

More information is available here.