Remark. Divergence and the discrete Poisson equation [fdip-00AG]

The incidence matrix \(B\) is the difference matrix of the preceding discussion, and \(L=B^{\mathsf T}B\) is the graph Laplacian. The matrix \(-B^{\mathsf T}\) is the discrete divergence. With the edge field \(E=-B\varphi \), Gauss's law \(\nabla \cdot E=\rho \) becomes \[\,(-B^{\mathsf T})(-B\varphi )=B^{\mathsf T}B\varphi =L\varphi =\rho ,\] the discrete Poisson equation. Computations, and the later Laplacian chapters, use \(d\) in this matrix form.