Data structures for finite element modelling

The graphical representation of a finite element model (undirected graphs) imposes some constraints on the choice of storage techniques and data structures; first, the storage structure must deal efficiently with sparse matrices; second, the retrieval method of an edge, of a finite element model, around selected nodes must minimize the multiple occurrences of the same edge if plotting efficiency is to be achieved; and third, the insertion and extraction of edges in a data structure must be independent of the selected nodes identification scheme. This paper evaluates the relative merit of elementary storage methods and data structures in terms of the time and space costs required to satisfy the above constraints. The theoretical costs are derived and the experimental costs are evaluated and compared. Depending on the homogeneity of the degree of the nodes, a static data structure or a linked list data structure using listed or sectioned hashing techniques are shown to yield the minimum time and space costs.