| Abstract: | Fast multipole method (FMM) has been developed as a technique to reduce the computational cost and memory requirements in solving large‐scale problems. This paper discusses an application of FMM to three‐dimensional boundary integral equation method for elastostatic crack problems. The boundary integral equation for many crack problems is discretized with FMM and Galerkin's method. The resulting algebraic equation is solved with generalized minimum residual method (GMRES). The numerical results show that FMM is more efficient than conventional methods when the number of unknowns is more than about 1200 and, therefore, can be useful in large‐scale analyses of fracture mechanics. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
