Finite element method

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. Computers are usually used to perform the calculations required. With high-speed supercomputers, better solutions can be achieved and are often required to solve the largest and most complex problems.

FEM is a general numerical method for solving partial differential equations in two- or three-space variables (i.e., some boundary value problems). There are also studies about using FEM to solve high-dimensional problems. To solve a problem, FEM subdivides a large system into smaller, simpler parts called finite elements. This is achieved by a particular space discretization in the space dimensions, which is implemented by the construction of a mesh of the object: the numerical domain for the solution that has a finite number of points. FEM formulation of a boundary value problem finally results in a system of algebraic equations. The method approximates the unknown function over the domain. The simple equations that model these finite elements are then assembled into a larger system of equations that models the entire problem. FEM then approximates a solution by minimizing an associated error function via the calculus of variations.

Studying or analyzing a phenomenon with FEM is often referred to as finite element analysis (FEA).

The subdivision of a whole domain into simpler parts has several advantages:

A typical approach using the method involves the following steps:

The global system of equations uses known solution techniques and can be calculated from the initial values of the original problem to obtain a numerical answer.

In the first step above, the element equations are simple equations that locally approximate the original complex equations to be studied, where the original equations are often partial differential equations (PDEs). To explain the approximation of this process, FEM is commonly introduced as a special case of the Galerkin method. The process, in mathematical language, is to construct an integral of the inner product of the residual and the weight functions; then, set the integral to zero. In simple terms, it is a procedure that minimizes the approximation error by fitting trial functions into the PDE. The residual is the error caused by the trial functions, and the weight functions are polynomial approximation functions that project the residual. The process eliminates all the spatial derivatives from the PDE, thus approximating the PDE locally using the following:

These equation sets are element equations. They are linear if the underlying PDE is linear and vice versa. Algebraic equation sets that arise in the steady-state problems are solved using numerical linear algebraic methods. In contrast, ordinary differential equation sets that occur in the transient problems are solved by numerical integrations using standard techniques such as Euler's method or the Runge–Kutta method.