Element-Free Galerkin Method and Finite Element Method. Which is better?

Abstract

"This paper is dedicated to the presentation of some qualities of a meshfree method – Element-Free Galerkin Method (EFGM) – which is few known and fewer used in Romania. In spite of a large using of the Finite Element Method (FEM), new numerical methods appeared, among these the Element-Free Galerkin Method (EFGM) is one. This method belongs to the meshfree methods, which is based on an approximation method named mooving least square method (MLSM). This paper presents in a synthetically way the base principle of EFGM. Some results of our researching work are also presented, which demonstrate some basic advantages of the EFGM. A simple problem of structure analysis is presented but the results are obtained by three methods: theoretical, FEM and EFGM. The results are a pleading and a model for using the EFGM. The answer of the title question is going to be given by any user of the EFGM. "