- #1
Trying2Learn
- 376
- 57
- TL;DR Summary
- How would you describe the FE method
I have written FE codes.
I have seen FE classes from mechanical engineering
I have seen FE classes from the math departments
When offered from a math department, the focus is the theory (with a lot of attention paid to general differential equations)
They are good courses and they suggest, I think AN ALGORITHM
However in the Finite Element Method, to ME the operative word is METHOD
And I am hoping someone can say what I am about to say, more precisely:
The FE METHOD was developed by engineers (civil: trusses, frames, etc.; and mechanical: solids, plane stress, etc.) As such, it is a METHOD of applying the ALGORITHM in pre-set ways for mechanical engineering: to read in connectivity, set up Jacobians, set up Gauss Q. integration, set up the B matrix, B-transpose * B * B, etc. I don't think the math departments teach this properly for mechanical engineers. I have seen students take FE classes from math departments and come out without any idea that there really is an established approach to a METHOD.
Can someone help me say this better? (Or, maybe I am wrong?) I am not sure I have the right to abuse the word METHOD and ALGORITHM as I do.
I have seen FE classes from mechanical engineering
I have seen FE classes from the math departments
When offered from a math department, the focus is the theory (with a lot of attention paid to general differential equations)
They are good courses and they suggest, I think AN ALGORITHM
However in the Finite Element Method, to ME the operative word is METHOD
And I am hoping someone can say what I am about to say, more precisely:
The FE METHOD was developed by engineers (civil: trusses, frames, etc.; and mechanical: solids, plane stress, etc.) As such, it is a METHOD of applying the ALGORITHM in pre-set ways for mechanical engineering: to read in connectivity, set up Jacobians, set up Gauss Q. integration, set up the B matrix, B-transpose * B * B, etc. I don't think the math departments teach this properly for mechanical engineers. I have seen students take FE classes from math departments and come out without any idea that there really is an established approach to a METHOD.
Can someone help me say this better? (Or, maybe I am wrong?) I am not sure I have the right to abuse the word METHOD and ALGORITHM as I do.