Condition Number

Unit: [-]

 

The condition number can be used as an indicator for the mesh quality. It is a measure for the transformation between an ideally shaped element (e.g., an equilateral triangle for a 2D triangular mesh) and the actual mesh element. The lower the condition number, the better the quality of an element, and vice versa.

The example below shows condition numbers for a section of a triangular mesh. It is clearly visible that elements deviating significantly from the ideal equilateral triangle show higher condition numbers.

 

Condition number in a triangular mesh.