ABSTRACT
The discussion of the analysis methods presented in the earlier chapters of this book has on purpose omitted reference to the details of how solutions to real problems are actually obtained, although it is accepted that the digital computer will be used in all except trivial cases. The purpose of this chapter is to fill in the details, and to study some of the computational problems which may arise. Flow charts are written so far as is possible in a manner independent of computer language or computer design, and no mention is therefore made of any special hardware or software facilities not generally available. Of course, when a program is actually written, it is inevitably in a particular language, and generally intended for use on a particular machine or range of machines, and some modifications would then be necessary. The flow charts of this and the following section assume that adequate general-purpose computer library subroutines are available for matrix handling, and special questions such as those of equation solution and banding in the stiffness matrix are left to Sections 13.3 to 13.6.
