Locally generated $\mathcal{C}^1$-splines over triangular meshes

Abstract

We classify all possible local linear procedures over triangular meshes resulting in polynomial $C^1$-spline functions with affinely uniform shape for the basic functions at the edges, and fitting the 9 value- and gradient data at the vertices of the mesh members. There is a unique procedure among them with shape functions and basic polynomials of degree 5 and all other admissible procedures are its perturbations with higher degree.