A numerical comparison of two different approximations of the error in a meshless method

Abstract Meshless methods still require considerable improvement before they equal the prominence of finite elements in computer science and engineering. In the Element Free Galerkin (EFG) method, it is obviously important that the error of approximation should be estimated, as it is in the Finite Element Method (FEM). In this paper we compare two different procedures to approximate the a posteriori error for the EFG method, both procedures are recovery based errors. The performance of the two different approximations of the error is illustrated by analysing different examples for 2-D potential and elasticity problems with known analytical solutions, using regular and irregular clouds of points. For irregular clouds of points, it is recommended to use smooth transition of nodes, thus creating areas of decreasing nodal densities.