This book presents practical applications of the finite element method to general differential equations. The underlying strategy of deriving the finite element solution is introduced using linear ordinary differential equations, thus allowing the basic concepts of the finite element solution to be introduced without being obscured by the additional mathematical detail required when applying this technique to partial differential equations. The author generalizes the presented approach to partial differential equations which include nonlinearities. The book also includes variations of the finite element method such as different classes of meshes and basic functions. Practical application of the theory is emphasised, with development of all concepts leading ultimately to a description of their computational implementation illustrated using Matlab functions. The target audience primarily comprises applied researchers and practitioners in engineering, but the book may also be beneficial for graduate students.

This book presents practical applications of the finite element method to general differential equations. The underlying strategy of deriving the finite element solution is introduced using linear ordinary differential equations, thus allowing the basic concepts of the finite element solution to be introduced without being obscured by the additional mathematical detail required when applying this technique to partial differential equations. The author generalizes the presented approach to partial differential equations which include nonlinearities. The book also includes variations of the finite element method such as different classes of meshes and basic functions. Practical application of the theory is emphasised, with development of all concepts leading ultimately to a description of their computational implementation illustrated using Matlab functions. The target audience primarily comprises applied researchers and practitioners in engineering, but the book may also be beneficial for graduate students.

This simple-to-follow textbook/reference provides an invaluable guide to object-oriented C++ programming for scientific computing. Through a series of clear and concise discussions, the key features most useful to the novice programmer are explored, enabling the reader to quickly master the basics and build the confidence to investigate less well-used features when needed. The text presents a hands-on approach that emphasizes the benefits of learning by example, stressing the importance of a clear programming style to minimise the introduction of errors into the code, and offering an extensive selection of practice exercises. This updated and enhanced new edition includes additional material on software testing, and on some new features introduced in modern C++ standards such as C++11. Topics and features: presents a practical treatment of the C++ programming language for applications in scientific computing; reviews the essentials of procedural programming in C++, covering variables, flow of control, input and output, pointers, functions and reference variables; introduces the concept of classes, showcasing the main features of object-orientation, and discusses such advanced C++ features as templates and exceptions; examines the development of a collection of classes for linear algebra calculations, and presents an introduction to parallel computing using MPI; describes how to construct an object-oriented library for solving second order differential equations; contains appendices reviewing linear algebra and useful programming constructs, together with solutions to selected exercises; provides exercises and programming tips at the end of every chapter, and supporting code at an associated website. This accessible textbook is a "must-read" for programmers of all levels of expertise. Basic familiarity with concepts such as operations between vectors and matrices, and the Newton-Raphson method for finding the roots of non-linear equations, would be an advantage, but extensive knowledge of the underlying mathematics is not assumed.