Meshfree methods

Summary

Meshfree methods solve differential equations using only a cloud of nodes, with no mesh that connects them into elements. Each node carries a shape function built from the positions of nearby nodes, for example by moving least squares or by radial basis functions. This avoids the cost of mesh generation and handles large deformations, fragmentation and moving boundaries with ease. Examples include smoothed-particle hydrodynamics, the element-free Galerkin method and radial basis function collocation. See the definition.