Mediaspace scheduled maintenance: Aug 25, 2026 07:00 - 12:00 AM. During this time, videos will be temporarily unavailable. Check status updates.

Lecture

Finite Element Method Basics

Description

This lecture covers the basics of the Finite Element Method (FEM), including the mass, damping, and stiffness matrices, matrix form equations, linear basis functions, discretization of domains, assembly of matrices, and solution techniques for linear and nonlinear partial differential equations using FEM.

Official source

Related concepts (32)

Linear differential equation

In mathematics, a linear differential equation is a differential equation that is defined by a linear polynomial in the unknown function and its derivatives, that is an equation of the form where a0(x), ..., an(x) and b(x) are arbitrary differentiable functions that do not need to be linear, and y′, ..., y(n) are the successive derivatives of an unknown function y of the variable x. Such an equation is an ordinary differential equation (ODE).

Partial differential equation

In mathematics, a partial differential equation (PDE) is an equation which computes a function between various partial derivatives of a multivariable function. The function is often thought of as an "unknown" to be solved for, similar to how x is thought of as an unknown number to be solved for in an algebraic equation like x2 − 3x + 2 = 0. However, it is usually impossible to write down explicit formulas for solutions of partial differential equations.

Euler method

In mathematics and computational science, the Euler method (also called the forward Euler method) is a first-order numerical procedure for solving ordinary differential equations (ODEs) with a given initial value. It is the most basic explicit method for numerical integration of ordinary differential equations and is the simplest Runge–Kutta method. The Euler method is named after Leonhard Euler, who first proposed it in his book Institutionum calculi integralis (published 1768–1870).

Finite element method

The finite element method (FEM) is a popular method for numerically solving differential equations arising in engineering and mathematical modeling. Typical problem areas of interest include the traditional fields of structural analysis, heat transfer, fluid flow, mass transport, and electromagnetic potential. The FEM is a general numerical method for solving partial differential equations in two or three space variables (i.e., some boundary value problems).

Differential equation

In mathematics, a differential equation is an equation that relates one or more unknown functions and their derivatives. In applications, the functions generally represent physical quantities, the derivatives represent their rates of change, and the differential equation defines a relationship between the two. Such relations are common; therefore, differential equations play a prominent role in many disciplines including engineering, physics, economics, and biology.

Related lectures (37)

Numerical Methods for Boundary Value Problems

Covers numerical methods for solving boundary value problems using finite difference, FFT, and finite element methods.

Finite Element Analysis: Advanced Mechanisms in Engineering

Provides an overview of advanced mechanisms analysis using Finite Element Method and Finite Element Analysis in engineering applications.

Explicit Stabilised Methods: Applications to Bayesian Inverse Problems

Explores explicit stabilised Runge-Kutta methods and their application to Bayesian inverse problems, covering optimization, sampling, and numerical experiments.

Advanced Numerical Analysis: Space Discretization

Explores advanced space discretization techniques in numerical analysis for solving differential systems efficiently and accurately.

Numerical Methods: Boundary Value Problems