ABSTRACT
In this book, we are concerned with problems where we must solve surface integral equations. Because no analytic solutions exist for most of these problems, in practice we must apply numerical methods. In this chapter we will introduce the Method of Moments (MOM), a technique that is used to convert integral equations into a linear system that can then be solved numerically using the computer. To begin, we will analyze a few simple electrostatic problems to provide a bit of context, and then formally define the MOM. Next, we will discuss the expansion of an unknown function by a sum of weighted basis functions, and compare and contrast point matching and the Method of Galerkin. In the chapters that follow, we will then discuss electrodynamic problems and numerical methods for solving a general system of linear equations. With this material behind us, we will then be ready to apply the MOM to the more challenging integral equation problems in later chapters.
