The combined methods have many advantages over single methods: high accuracy of solutions, less CPU time, less computer storage, easy coupling with singularities as well as the complicated boundary conditions. Since coupling techniques are essential to combinations, various matching strategies among different methods are carefully discussed.
This text attempts to answer two questions. Firstly, which numerical methods may be combined together? and secondly how can different numerical methods be matched together? In doing so the author presents a number of useful combinations, for instance, the combination of various FEMs, the combinations of FEM--FDM, REM--FEM, RGM--FDM, etc. The combined methods have many advantages over single methods: high accuracy of solutions, less CPU time, less computer storage, easy coupling with singularities as well as the complicated boundary conditions. Since coupling techniques are essential to combinations, various matching strategies among different methods are carefully discussed. The author provides the matching rules so that optimal convergence, even superconvergence, and optimal stability can be achieved, and also warns of the matching pitfalls to avoid.