Parallel implementation of the finite element method using compressed data structures

This paper presents a parallel implementation of the finite element method designed for coarse-grain distributed memory architectures. The MPI standard is used for message passing and tests are run on a PC cluster and on an SGI Altix 350. Compressed data structures are employed to store the coefficient matrix and obtain iterative solutions, based on Krylov methods, in a subdomain-by-subdomain approach. Two mesh partitioning schemes are compared: non-overlapping and overlapping. The pros and cons of these partitioning methods are discussed. Numerical examples of symmetric and non-symmetric problems in two and three dimensions are presented.