The wave equation as a Port-Hamiltonian system, and a finite-dimensional approximation

The problem of approximating a distributed parameter system with free boundary conditions is solved for the 2-dimensional wave equation. To this end we first model the wave equation as a distributed-parameter port-Hamiltonian system. Then we employ the idea that it is natural to use different finite elements for the approximation of di?erent geometric variables (forms) describing a distributed-parameter system, to spatially discretize the system and we show that we obtain a ?nite-dimensional port-Hamiltonian system, which also preserves the conservation laws.