Meshless local Petrov-Galerkin (MLPG) method in combination with finite element and boundary element approaches

The meshless local Petrov-Galerkin (MLPG) method is an effective truly meshless method for solving partial differential equations using moving least squares (MLS) interpolants. It is, however, computationally expensive for some problems. A coupled MLPG/finite element (FE) method and a coupled MLPG/boundary element (BE) method are proposed in this paper to improve the solution efficiency. A procedure is developed for the coupled MLPG/FE method and the coupled MLPG/BE method so that the continuity and compatibility are preserved on the interface of the two domains where the MLPG and FE or BE methods are applied. The validity and efficiency of the MLPG/FE and MLPG/BE methods are demonstrated through a number of examples.