ABSTRACT
The reader is probably well aware of the fact that-in the last 30 years or so-the most successful approximate technique that is able to deal adequately with simple as well as with complex systems is the finite-element method (FEM). Moreover, since a number of finite-element codes are on the market at reasonable prices and more and more computationally sophisticated procedures are being developed, it is easy to predict that this current state of affairs is probably not going to change for many years to come. Finite-element codes for engineering problem solving were initially developed for structural mechanics applications, but their versatility soon led analysts to recognize that this same technique could be applied with profit to a larger number of problems covering almost the whole spectrum of engineering disciplinesstatics, dynamics, heat transfer, fluid flow, etc. Since the essence of the finiteelement approach is to establish and solve a (usually very large) set of algebraic equations, it is clear that the method is particularly well suited to computer implementation and that here, with little doubt, lies the key to its success.
