The structure of polycrystalline diamond compact(PDC) cutter is an important factor affecting the performance of the drill bit. The serrated PDC cutter has good performance but less research, and lacks relevant theoretical support. Therefore, based on elastoplastic mechanics and Drucker-Prager criterion, the finite element model of cutter and rock was constructed, and the rock breaking and temperature field of serrated PDC and conventional PDC cutter were compared. The results show that the serrated PDC effectively and significantly improved the rock breaking efficiency by shearing and ploughing. The mean cutting force of serrated PDC was about 20% lower than that of conventional PDC, and the fluctuation was obviously smaller. When the back rake angle became larger, the cutting force increases, and the specific energy of rock breaking increased first, then decreases and increased again. There was an optimal back rake angle of 10° ~ 15°. With the increase of cutting depth, the cutting force increases, and the specific energy of rock breaking decreases first and then increases. There was a critical cutting depth of 1. 5 ~ 2 mm. As the number of serrations increases, the cutting force and rock breaking specific energy of the cutter increase first and then decrease, and the three serrations were the best. The results of temperature field research show that the serrated PDC has a larger heat dissipation area and better thermal stability than the conventional PDC cutter, and there is a law between working parameters and temperature changes. The research depth reveals the rock breaking characteristics and temperature field of the serrated PDC cutter, which has important guiding significance for PDC cutter optimization and high-performance bit tooth arrangement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]