Physics-Informed Graph-Mesh Networks for PDEs: A hybrid approach for complex problems

The recent rise of deep learning has led to numerous applications, including solving partial differential equations using Physics-Informed Neural Networks. This approach has proven highly effective in several academic cases. However, their lack of physical invariances, coupled with other significant weaknesses, such as an inability to handle complex geometries or their lack of generalization capabilities, make them unable to compete with classical numerical solvers in industrial settings. In this work, a limitation regarding the use of automatic differentiation in the context of physics-informed learning is highlighted. A hybrid approach combining physics-informed graph neural networks with numerical kernels from finite elements is introduced. After studying the theoretical properties of our model, we apply it to complex geometries, in two and three dimensions. Our choices are supported by an ablation study, and we evaluate the generalization capacity of the proposed approach. •Limitations of auto-differentiation hinder its accuracy to compute physical gradients.•Foreign numerical operators can be used to compute the physical gradients.•A model enriched with physical invariances knowledge can manage complex geometries.•Variational approaches to include physical laws allow better generalization.