2. Application of the finite element method

The engineering sciences (solid and fluid mechanics, thermal engineering, etc.) describe the behavior of physical systems using partial differential equations. The finite element method is one of the most widely used methods today for effectively solving these equations. It is a very general method, applicable to the majority of problems encountered in practice: stationary or non-stationary, linear or non-linear, defined in any geometric domain. What's more, it is highly adaptable to heterogeneous media and multiphysical phenomena. Since Clough introduced the finite element method in 1960, many mechanical and civil engineering problems have been solved using this method. A great...