This paper on "An Improved Parallel Sub-Domain Generation Method" was presented at the NAFEMS World Congress on Design, Simulation & Optimisation: Reliability & Applicability of Computational Methods - 9-11 April 1997, Stuttgart, Germany.

Abstract

This paper describes an optimisation and artificial intelligence-based approach for solving the mesh partitioning problem for parallel finite element analysis. The Sub-Domain Generation Method (SGM) [1] is briefly introduced with its virtues and drawbacks. This paper describes the enhancement of the SGM algorithm by the introduction of a new non-convex bisection procedure and a new Genetic Algorithm (GA) module, which is better tuned for this particular optimisation problem. Example decompositions are given and comparisons made between parallel versions of ESGM, SGM and other decomposition methods. Scalability of the method is examined by using a range of examples.