# Gated X-TFC: Soft Domain Decomposition for Forward and Inverse Problems in Sharp-Gradient PDEs

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.01039 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.01039/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 22 of its 47 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 1 Oct 2025.

## Builds on (most cited first, 22 of 22)

- [Fourier Neural Operator for Parametric Partial Differential Equations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2010.08895/) (2020)
- [Fourier Features Let Networks Learn High Frequency Functions in Low Dimensional Domains](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2006.10739/) (2020)
- [DeepONet: Learning nonlinear operators for identifying differential equations based on the universal approximation theorem of operators](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1910.03193/) (2019)
- [On the Spectral Bias of Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1806.08734/) (2018)
- [Characterizing possible failure modes in physics-informed neural networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2109.01050/) (2021)
- [When and why PINNs fail to train: A neural tangent kernel perspective](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2007.14527/) (2020)
- [Frequency Principle: Fourier Analysis Sheds Light on Deep Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1901.06523/) (2019)
- [Self-Adaptive Physics-Informed Neural Networks using a Soft Attention Mechanism](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2009.04544/) (2020)
- [Physics Informed Extreme Learning Machine (PIELM) -- A rapid method for the numerical solution of partial differential equations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1907.03507/) (2019)
- [Meta-learning PINN loss functions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2107.05544/) (2021)
- [A Metalearning Approach for Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs): Application to Parameterized PDEs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2110.13361/) (2021)
- [Distributed physics informed neural network for data-efficient solution to partial differential equations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1907.08967/) (2019)
- [On Computing the Hyperparameter of Extreme Learning Machines: Algorithm and Application to Computational PDEs, and Comparison with Classical and High-Order Finite Elements](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2110.14121/) (2021)
- [Finite Element Operator Network for Solving Elliptic-type parametric PDEs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.04690/) (2023)
- [VS-PINN: A fast and efficient training of physics-informed neural networks using variable-scaling methods for solving PDEs with stiff behavior](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.06287/) (2024)
- [Bayesian Physics-Informed Extreme Learning Machine for Forward and Inverse PDE Problems with Noisy Data](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2205.06948/) (2022)
- [The Theory of Connections. Connecting Points](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1702.06862/) (2017)
- [Curriculum Learning-Driven PIELMs for Fluid Flow Simulations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.06347/) (2025)
- [Component Fourier Neural Operator for Singularly Perturbed Differential Equations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.04779/) (2024)
- [Kernel-Adaptive PI-ELMs for Forward and Inverse Problems in PDEs with Sharp Gradients](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.10241/) (2025)
- [Semi-analytic PINN methods for singularly perturbed boundary value problems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2208.09145/) (2022)
- [PICS in Pics: Physics Informed Contour Selection for Rapid Image Segmentation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2311.07002/) (2023)

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [Meta-Learned Basis Adaptation for Parametric Linear PDEs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.09289/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) and related methods struggle to resolve sharp gradients in singularly perturbed boundary value problems without resorting to some form of domain decomposition, which often introduce complex interface penalties. While the Extreme Theory of Functional Connections (X-TFC) avoids multi-objective optimization by employing exact boundary condition enforcement, it remains computationally inefficient for boundary layers and incompatible with decomposition. We propose Gated X-TFC, a novel framework for both forward and inverse problems, that overcomes these limitations through a soft, learned domain decomposition. Our method replaces hard interfaces with a differentiable logistic gate that dynamically adapts radial basis function (RBF) kernel widths across the domain, eliminating the need for interface penalties. This approach yields not only superior accuracy but also dramatic improvements in computational efficiency: on a benchmark one dimensional (1D) convection-diffusion, Gated X-TFC achieves an order-of-magnitude lower error than standard X-TFC while using 80 percent fewer collocation points and reducing training time by 66 percent. In addition, we introduce an operator-conditioned meta-learning layer that learns a probabilistic mapping from PDE parameters to optimal gate configurations, enabling fast, uncertainty-aware warm-starting for new problem instances. We further demonstrate scalability to multiple subdomains and higher dimensions by solving a twin boundary-layer equation and a 2D Poisson problem with a sharp Gaussian source. Overall, Gated X-TFC delivers a simple alternative alternative to PINNs that is both accurate and computationally efficient for challenging boundar-layer regimes. Future work will focus on nonlinear problems.