ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we introduce the reader to the finite element method-one of the most flexible and powerful methods for numerical computations of engineering problems in general and of groundwater flows in particular. Our purpose here is twofold: one, to introduce the theory behind the numerical method quickly; and two, to prepare the reader for the implementation of the method using computers. For his purpose, a deliberate attempt is made to present the method in its simplest form. Although the method is quite general, we shall restrict it to the solution of the Laplace equation in the context of steady-state groundwater flows in a known region.
