A general finite difference method for arbitrary meshes

Abstract A two-dimensional finite-difference technique for irregular meshes is formulated for derivatives up to the second order. The domain in the vicinity of a given central point is broken into eight 45 degree pie shaped segments and the closest finite-difference point in each segment to the center point is noted. By utilizing Taylor series expansions about a central point with a unique averaging process for the points in the four diagonal segments, good approximations to all derivatives up to the second order and including the mixed derivatives are obtained. For square meshes the general derivative expressions for arbitrary meshes which were determined reduce to the usual finite difference formulae. In one example problem the Poisson equation is solved for an irregular mesh. In a second example for the first time a problem with a geometric nonlinearity, namely large deflection response of a flat membrane, is solved with an irregular mesh. The solutions compare very favorably with results obtained previously. Some discussion is given on possible approaches for determination of finite difference derivatives higher than the second.