A meshfree unification: reproducing kernel peridynamics

This paper is the first investigation establishing the link between the meshfree state-based peridynamics method and other meshfree methods, in particular with the moving least squares reproducing kernel particle method (RKPM). It is concluded that the discretization of state-based peridynamics leads directly to an approximation of the derivatives that can be obtained from RKPM. However, state-based peridynamics obtains the same result at a significantly lower computational cost which motivates its use in large-scale computations. In light of the findings of this study, an update to the method is proposed such that the limitations regarding application of boundary conditions and the use of non-uniform grids are corrected by using the reproducing kernel approximation.