Boundary Element Methods for Engineers:

Part I: Potential Problems

Boundary Element Analysis of Potential Problems

The solution to Poissons equation can be expressed as

= + ( 2.103)

where is the solution to Laplaces equation (1 = 0) and is any function (a particular integral)
which satisfies
2 = 1 (2.104)

One possible form is

= 1 2 + 2 2 (2.105)

where 1 and 2 are constants which must be such that

21 + 22 = 1(2.106)

A possible choice of constants is

1 = 2 = 1 (2.107)
4

Because the total solution expressed in Equation 2.103 must satisfy the applied boundary conditions,
it means that , the solution to Laplaces equation, must satisfy these conditions with the boundary
conditions implicit in Equation 2.105 subtracted. In other words, at any point on the boundary at which
potential is prescribed, from this prescribed value must be subtracted the value of
=

1
4

( 2 + 2 )(2.108)

At any point on the boundary at which potential gradient is prescribed, from this prescribed value must
be subtracted the value of
d
d

1
2

+ (2.109)

where and are the components in the and directions of the unit outward normal vector to

the boundary at the point concerned.

So Poissons equation can be solved by the boundary element method as though it were Laplaces
equation, by simply modifying boundary conditions. Once the solution is obtained, the contributions
of the particular integral to the computed boundary values are added back in.

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