A simple algorithm for obtaining nearly optimal quadrature rules for NURBS-based isogeometric analysis

We develop new quadrature rules for isogeometric analysis based on the solution of a local nonlinear problem. A simple and robust algorithm is developed to determine the rules which are exact for important B-spline spaces of uniform and geometrically stretched knot spacings. We consider both periodic and open knot vector configurations and illustrate the efficiency of the rules on selected boundary value problems. We find that the rules are almost optimally efficient, but much easier to obtain than optimal rules, which require the solution of global nonlinear problems that are often ill-posed. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.