Iterative coupling of BE and FE methods in elastostatics

Iterative domain decomposition coupling is one of the recent approaches for combining the boundary element method (BEM) and the finite element method (FEM). The domain of the original problem is subdivided into two sub-domains, which are separately modeled by the FEM and BENI. Successive renewal of the variables on the interface of the two sub-domains is performed through an iterative procedure to reach the final convergence. In this paper, we investigate the iterative method. We also establish the convergence conditions. A simple numerical example is given to elaborate on the effect of different factors such as initial guess, boundary conditions, and geometrical and material properties of the sub-domains on solution convergence. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.