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Draft − 1/13/03 © 2003 J.E. Akin 1PREFACEThere are many good texts on the application of finite element analysis techniques. Mostdo not address the concept and implementation of error estimation. Now that computersare so powerful there is no reason not to carry our a re-analysis until the error levels reachthe point that the user is satisfied. Having an error estimation is critical to automating theadaptation of the finite element analysis process. Today several commercial programsinclude automatic adaptation, based on an error analysis. The user of such programsshould have a clear concept of the theory and limitations of such tools. Thus, this textincludes the basic finite element theory and its mathematical foundations, the errorestimation processes, and the associated computational procedures, as well as and severalexample applications.This book is primarily intended for advanced undergraduate engineering studentsand beginning graduate students. The text contains more material than could be coveredin a single quarter or semester course. Therefore, a number of chapters or sections thatcould be omitted in a first course have been marked with an asterisk (*). Most of thesubject matter deals with linear heat transfer and elementary stress analysis.The future of finite element analysis will probably heavily involve adaptive analysismethods. One should have a course in Functional Analysis to best understand thosetechniques. Most undergraduate curriculums do not contain such courses. Therefore, achapter on mathematical preliminaries is included.All the Fortran 95 source programs for the general finite element library (calledMODEL), and the corresponding application and supporting data file can be downloadedfrom the World Wide Web (for non-commercial use only). They can be found at the sitewww.owlnet.rice.edu/˜mech517. The same is true of a large library of small Matlabplotting scripts that display the input and output results shown in the text.I would like to thank many current and former students at Rice University for theirconstructive criticisms and comments during the evolution of this book. Special thanksgo to Prof. Robert L. Taylor, of the University of California at Berkeley for his manydetailed and constructive suggestions. Mr. Don Schroder helped with the preparation of alarge part of the manuscript. Finally, this book would not have been completed withoutthe support and patience of my wife Kimberly.Ed Akin, Rice University, Houston, Texas, 2003.Draft − 1/13/03© 2003 J.E. Akin


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Rice MECH 517 - Study Notes

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