# A deformation-based framework for learning solution mappings of PDEs defined on varying domains

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.01379 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2412.01379/

## Key facts

- Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 26 of its 42 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 2 Dec 2024.

## Builds on (most cited first, 26 of 26)

- [PointNet: Deep Learning on Point Sets for 3D Classification and Segmentation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1612.00593/) (2016)
- [PointNet++: Deep Hierarchical Feature Learning on Point Sets in a Metric Space](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1706.02413/) (2017)
- [Fourier Neural Operator for Parametric Partial Differential Equations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2010.08895/) (2020)
- [DeepSDF: Learning Continuous Signed Distance Functions for Shape Representation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1901.05103/) (2019)
- [Implicit Neural Representations with Periodic Activation Functions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2006.09661/) (2020)
- [DeepONet: Learning nonlinear operators for identifying differential equations based on the universal approximation theorem of operators](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1910.03193/) (2019)
- [Neural Operator: Graph Kernel Network for Partial Differential Equations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2003.03485/) (2020)
- [DGM: A deep learning algorithm for solving partial differential equations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1708.07469/) (2017)
- [The Deep Ritz method: A deep learning-based numerical algorithm for solving variational problems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1710.00211/) (2017)
- [Learning the solution operator of parametric partial differential equations with physics-informed DeepOnets](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2103.10974/) (2021)
- [Physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) for fluid mechanics: A review](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2105.09506/) (2021)
- [Fourier Neural Operator with Learned Deformations for PDEs on General Geometries](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2207.05209/) (2022)
- [Physics-informed neural networks with hard constraints for inverse design](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2102.04626/) (2021)
- [Multiwavelet-based Operator Learning for Differential Equations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2109.13459/) (2021)
- [U-NO: U-shaped Neural Operators](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2204.11127/) (2022)
- [MIONet: Learning multiple-input operators via tensor product](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2202.06137/) (2022)
- [Universal Function Approximation by Deep Neural Nets with Bounded Width and ReLU Activations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1708.02691/) (2017)
- [Solving High-Dimensional PDEs with Latent Spectral Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2301.12664/) (2023)
- [Operator Learning with Neural Fields: Tackling PDEs on General Geometries](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.07266/) (2023)
- [Deep transfer operator learning for partial differential equations under conditional shift](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2204.09810/) (2022)
- [Geom-DeepONet: A Point-cloud-based Deep Operator Network for Field Predictions on 3D Parameterized Geometries](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.14788/) (2024)
- [MgNO: Efficient Parameterization of Linear Operators via Multigrid](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.19809/) (2023)
- [The Barron Space and the Flow-induced Function Spaces for Neural Network Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1906.08039/) (2019)
- [DIMON: Learning Solution Operators of Partial Differential Equations on a Diffeomorphic Family of Domains](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.07250/) (2024)
- [A hybrid iterative method based on MIONet for PDEs: Theory and numerical examples](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.07156/) (2024)
- [Learning solution operators of PDEs defined on varying domains via MIONet](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.15097/) (2024)

## Built on by (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [A Physics-Informed Meta-Learning Framework for the Continuous Solution of Parametric PDEs on Arbitrary Geometries](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.02459/) (2025)
- [MENO: Memory-Efficient Neural Operator](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.27739/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

In this work, we establish a deformation-based framework for learning solution mappings of PDEs defined on varying domains. The union of functions defined on varying domains can be identified as a metric space according to the deformation, then the solution mapping is regarded as a continuous metric-to-metric mapping, and subsequently can be represented by another continuous metric-to-Banach mapping using two different strategies, referred to as the D2D subframework and the D2E subframework, respectively. We point out that such a metric-to-Banach mapping can be learned by neural networks, hence the solution mapping is accordingly learned. With this framework, a rigorous convergence analysis is built for the problem of learning solution mappings of PDEs on varying domains. As the theoretical framework holds based on several pivotal assumptions which need to be verified for a given specific problem, we study the star domains as a typical example, and other situations could be similarly verified. There are three important features of this framework: (1) The domains under consideration are not required to be diffeomorphic, therefore a wide range of regions can be covered by one model provided they are homeomorphic. (2) The deformation mapping is unnecessary to be continuous, thus it can be flexibly established via combining a primary identity mapping and a local deformation mapping. This capability facilitates the resolution of large systems where only local parts of the geometry undergo change. (3) If a linearity-preserving neural operator such as MIONet is adopted, this framework still preserves the linearity of the surrogate solution mapping on its source term for linear PDEs, thus it can be applied to the hybrid iterative method. We finally present several numerical experiments to validate our theoretical results.