An Introduction To The Finite Element Method, in its third edition, has the same conceptual approach to FEM as the previous versions. The ramifications of the Finite Element Method in various applications of engineering are examined with detailed mathematical explanations.
All the basic concepts relating to FEM are discussed under An Introduction To The Finite Element Method. After the preliminaries are covered, the book explains variations and integral formulations. Next, finite element models as well as their applications are examined for one dimensional differential equations of the second order.

There is also a chapter devoted to the computer implementation of FEM. Other practical scenarios are discussed, such as time-dependent situations, beams and frames, the flow of viscous incompressible fluids and the bending of elastic plates. FEM can be applied to all of the above situations.

The chief feature of An Introduction To The Finite Element Method is the wide repertoire of solved examples. There are some problems that are meant to be solved by hand, and some on the computer. Close to 30 per cent of the problems are new or have been revised from the previous edition. There are some that are in the form of a class project, which the professor can choose to do using commercial Finite Element Method packages. Various subjects across the engineering spectrum such as fluid mechanics, heat transfer and solid mechanics are covered.

Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Mathematical Preliminaries, Integral Formulations, and Variational Methods
Chapter 3 Second-order Differential Equations in One Dimension: Finite Element Models
Chapter 4 Second-order Differential Equations in One Dimension: Applications
Chapter 5 Beams and Frames
Chapter 6 Eigenvalue and Time-Dependent Problems
Chapter 7 Computer Implementation
Chapter 8 Single-Variable Problems in Two Dimensions
Chapter 9 Interpolation Functions, Numerical Integration, and Modeling Considerations
Chapter 10 Flows of Viscous Incompressible Fluids
Chapter 11 Plane Elasticity
Chapter 12 Bending of Elastic Plates
Chapter 13 Computer Implementation of Two-Dimensional Problems
Chapter 14 Prelude to Advanced Topic