# Learning Mesh-Based Simulation with Graph Networks

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2010.03409 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2010.03409/

## Key facts

- Cited by 868 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 7 Oct 2020.

## Built on by (most cited first, 30 of 868)

- [Geometric Deep Learning: Grids, Groups, Graphs, Geodesics, and Gauges](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2104.13478/) (2021)
- [Fourier Neural Operator with Learned Deformations for PDEs on General Geometries](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2207.05209/) (2022)
- [Neural Operator: Learning Maps Between Function Spaces](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2108.08481/) (2021)
- [Transolver: A Fast Transformer Solver for PDEs on General Geometries](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.02366/) (2024)
- [Geometry-Informed Neural Operator for Large-Scale 3D PDEs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.00583/) (2023)
- [Transformer for Partial Differential Equations' Operator Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2205.13671/) (2022)
- [Combinatorial optimization and reasoning with graph neural networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2102.09544/) (2021)
- [GraphCast: Learning skillful medium-range global weather forecasting](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2212.12794/) (2022)
- [WeatherBench 2: A benchmark for the next generation of data-driven global weather models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.15560/) (2023)
- [Geometric and Physical Quantities Improve E(3) Equivariant Message Passing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2110.02905/) (2021)
- [Poseidon: Efficient Foundation Models for PDEs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.19101/) (2024)
- [MeshDiffusion: Score-based Generative 3D Mesh Modeling](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.08133/) (2023)
- [Towards Multi-spatiotemporal-scale Generalized PDE Modeling](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.15616/) (2022)
- [Forecasting Global Weather with Graph Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2202.07575/) (2022)
- [Towards Better Dynamic Graph Learning: New Architecture and Unified Library](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.13047/) (2023)
- [A Physics-informed Diffusion Model for High-fidelity Flow Field Reconstruction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2211.14680/) (2022)
- [Scalable Transformer for PDE Surrogate Modeling](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.17560/) (2023)
- [Pre-training via Denoising for Molecular Property Prediction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2206.00133/) (2022)
- [Geometric Deep Learning on Molecular Representations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2107.12375/) (2021)
- [Deep Generative Models in Engineering Design: A Review](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2110.10863/) (2021)
- [PhyCRNet: Physics-informed Convolutional-Recurrent Network for Solving Spatiotemporal PDEs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2106.14103/) (2021)
- [MultiScale MeshGraphNets](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.00612/) (2022)
- [Multiple Physics Pretraining for Physical Surrogate Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.02994/) (2023)
- [Approximately Equivariant Networks for Imperfectly Symmetric Dynamics](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.11969/) (2022)
- [Clifford Neural Layers for PDE Modeling](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.04934/) (2022)
- [Physics-Informed Machine Learning: A Survey on Problems, Methods and Applications](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2211.08064/) (2022)
- [Learned Coarse Models for Efficient Turbulence Simulation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2112.15275/) (2021)
- [Weak baselines and reporting biases lead to overoptimism in machine learning for fluid-related partial differential equations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.07218/) (2024)
- [PhysTwin: Physics-Informed Reconstruction and Simulation of Deformable Objects from Videos](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.17973/) (2025)
- [Predicting Physics in Mesh-reduced Space with Temporal Attention](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.09113/) (2022)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Mesh-based simulations are central to modeling complex physical systems in many disciplines across science and engineering. Mesh representations support powerful numerical integration methods and their resolution can be adapted to strike favorable trade-offs between accuracy and efficiency. However, high-dimensional scientific simulations are very expensive to run, and solvers and parameters must often be tuned individually to each system studied. Here we introduce MeshGraphNets, a framework for learning mesh-based simulations using graph neural networks. Our model can be trained to pass messages on a mesh graph and to adapt the mesh discretization during forward simulation. Our results show it can accurately predict the dynamics of a wide range of physical systems, including aerodynamics, structural mechanics, and cloth. The model's adaptivity supports learning resolution-independent dynamics and can scale to more complex state spaces at test time. Our method is also highly efficient, running 1-2 orders of magnitude faster than the simulation on which it is trained. Our approach broadens the range of problems on which neural network simulators can operate and promises to improve the efficiency of complex, scientific modeling tasks.