In the case of general solid and structural

mechanics problems, this requirement

implies that the element must deform without
causing openings, overlaps, or discontinuities
between adjacent elements. In the case of beam,
plate, and shell elements, the
first derivative of the displacement (slope) across
interelement boundaries also must be
continuous.
Although it is desirable to satisfy all the
convergence requirements, several interpolation
polynomials that do not meet all the requirements
have been used in the finite
element literature. In some cases, acceptable
convergence or convergence to an incorrect
solution has been obtained. In particular, the
interpolation polynomials that are complete
but not conforming have been found to give
satisfactory results.
If the interpolation polynomial satisfies all three
requirements, the approximate solution
converges to the correct solution when we refine
the mesh and use an increasing
number of smaller elements. In order to prove the
convergence mathematically, the