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Performing Line and Surface Integrals
The basic problem is performing the line or surfaceintegrals over the sides or faces of elements. In manycases these can be done analytically but in the mostgeneral situation they can only be performed numerically.Evaluating these integrals both analytically andnumerically relies on two results from differentialgeometry:
- If the equation of a curve in two dimensional spaceis given in the parametric form
then the length of any arc on the curve is given by
whereand
are values of the parameter
at the endpoints of the arc.
- If the equation of a surface in three dimensional spaceis given in the parametric form
then the area of any facet on the surface is given by
where
andand
are the ranges of integration for
and
.
These results can be found in most texts on integrationor differential geometry (see, for example, Gillespie, 1959).
Performing these finite element integrals rests on parameterisingthe boundary with some convenient parameters. It should be apparentthat in the context of the finite element method theparameterisation of the element boundary can be done most simply in termsof the local coordinates of the parent elements. Thus theparameterisation is the isoparametric transformationused to transform the parent element into elements of generalorientation and shape.
To illustrate these ideas consider the mesh in Figure 4.2.Suppose that the Neumann condition (4.3) is to be imposed on theboundary line EF.
The boundary integral (4.27) becomes
where





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![]() | ![]() | ![]() | (4.35) |
![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
where

where


This integral is now in a formto which quadrature can easily be applied.Hence
Clearly the same process can be extended into three dimensionswith little difficulty.



Next: Programming Boundary Integrals Up: Neuman and Cauchy Conditions Previous: Neuman and Cauchy Conditions Chris Greenough (c.greenough@rl.ac.uk): September 2001
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Theory and Programming Techniques
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Computational Science & Engineering
December 2000
The Finite Element Library has been around for some time and hasformed an important part of many research projects using numerical methods. The usage of the Libraryhas grown greatly with the help of the Numerical Algorithms Group Ltdand Release 4 is well due.
It is pleasing to report that over the past years only one or two serious bugs have been found and there have been many useful comments passed on about the functionality of the Library routines and the subjects covered by the Level 1 programs.
Release 4 introduces six new programs to the Level 1 Library and many more Level 0 routines. An important addition is the treatment of two simple non-linear problems. It is hoped that all these additions will be found useful to users of the Library and they will provide to starting point to new areas of application.
The authors of the Library are very interested in suggestions fromusers about new areas to be covered and comments about the existing material.The authors can be contacted directly at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.
C Greenough
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory - October 2000
Tel: +44 (1235) 445307
Fax: +44 (1235) 446626
Email: c.greenough@rutherford.ac.uk
- Basic Concepts of the Finite Element Method
- Programming Techniques
- Time-Dependent Problems
- The Numerical Inclusion of Boundary Conditions
- Bibliography
- About this document ...



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Chris Greenough (c.greenough@rl.ac.uk): September 2001