Boundary Element Method

The boundary element method (BEM) is a powerful tool for the numerical study of engineering and physics problems. It is often considered more mathematical and difficult to comprehend than the finite element method with which it can be compared. This book dispels that myth and shows the method's great power and utility. An introductory chapter contains the preliminary mathematics required to understand later chapters making the book self-contained. For both classes of problems (potential and elasticity), chapters cover the boundary integral formulation of the problem, previously presented in differential form; the numerical solution of this integral formulation; and the implementation of this numerical approach in computer code. The book teaches the fundamentals of the method for the beginner and at the same time enables them to acquire a clear idea of its applicability. Exercises and a disk with codes and examples (Mac and PC) are enclosed. This makes it suitable as a text for graduate courses on BEM taught to engineers and scientists.