  The calculation of potential energy surfaces for quantum dynamics can be a
time consuming task -- especially when a high level of theory for the
electronic structure calculation is required. We propose an adaptive
interpolation algorithm based on polyharmonic splines combined with a partition
of unity approach. The adaptive node refinement allows to greatly reduce the
number of sample points by employing a local error estimate. The algorithm and
its scaling behavior is evaluated for a model function in 2, 3 and 4
dimensions. The developed algorithm allows for a more rapid and reliable
interpolation of a potential energy surface within a given accuracy compared to
the non-adaptive version.
