CHAPTER 5

Derivation of Element Matrices and Vectors

EXAMPLE 5.7
Find the solution of the differential equation

d2 ϕ
+ ϕ + x = 0; 0≤x≤1 (E.1)
dx2
subject to the boundary conditions ϕ(0) = ϕ(1) = 0 using the Galerkin method.

Approach: Assume a two-term trial (approximate) solution with each term involving an unknown
constant and a trial function satisfying the boundary conditions. Evaluate the constants by setting the
integral of product of each of the trial functions and the residue equal to zero.

Solution
We assume a two-term trial or approximate solution as

ϕðxÞ = c1 f1 ðxÞ + c2 f2 ðxÞ ≡ c1 xð1 − xÞ + c2 x2 ð1 − xÞ (E.2)

where c1 and c2 are unknown constants and each of the trial functions f1(x) and f2(x) is chosen to
satisfy the specified boundary conditions, fi(x = 0) = fi(x = 1) = 0, i = 1, 2. By substituting the trial
solution, Eq. (E.2) in Eq. (E.1), we obtain the residue R(x) as

d2 ϕ
R= + ϕ + x = c1 ð−2 + x − x2 Þ + c2 ð2 − 6x + x2 − x3 Þ + x (E.3)
dx2

According to the Galerkin procedure,

Z1 Z1
f1 ðxÞ RðxÞ dx = ðx − x2 ÞRðxÞ dx = 0 (E.4)
0 0

Z1 Z1
f2 ðxÞ RðxÞ dx = ðx2 − x3 ÞRðxÞ dx = 0 (E.5) 179
0 0

Using the relations

Z1
1 11 11
RðxÞ dx = − c1 − c2 (E.6)
2 6 12
0

Z1
x RðxÞ dx = 1 − 11 c1 − 19 c2 (E.7)
3 12 20
0

Z1
1 37 4
x2 RðxÞ dx = − c1 − c2 (E.8)
4 60 5
0

Z1
1 7 71
x3 RðxÞ dx = − c1 − c2 (E.9)
5 15 105
0

in Eqs. (E.4) and (E.5), we obtain

−0:3c1 − 0:15c2 = −0:0833 (E.10)

−0:15c1 − 0:1238c2 = −0:05 (E.11)

The solution of Eqs. (E.10) and (E.11) is c1 = 0.1924 and c2 = 0.1708. Thus, the approximate solution
given by the Galerkin method is
!
ϕ ðxÞ = 0:1924xð1 − xÞ + 0:1708x2 ð1 − xÞ (E.12)

(Continued )
 PART 2
Basic Procedure

EXAMPLE 5.7 (Continued )

Note
The exact solution of the problem is given by
sin x
ϕðxÞ = −x (E.13)
sin 1

5.8.5 Least Squares Method

In this method, the integral of the weighted square of the residual over the domain is
required to be a minimum; that is,
Z
2
wR dV = minimum (5.73)
V

By using Eqs. (5.66) and (5.63), Eq. (5.73) can be written as

Z " n
! #2
w b−A ∑ Ci fi ðxÞ dV = minimum (5.74)
i =1
V

where the unknowns in the integral are only Ci. The necessary conditions for minimizing
the integral can be expressed as
2 ! )2 3
Z ( n
∂ 4
w b − A ∑Ci fi ðxÞ dV 5 = 0, i = 1, 2, … , n
∂Ci i =1
V

or
180 " !#
Z n
wAð fi ðxÞÞ b − A ∑Ci fi ðxÞ dV = 0, i = 1, 2, … , n (5.75)
i =1
V

The weighting function w is usually taken as unity in this method. Equation (5.75) leads
to n simultaneous linear algebraic equations in terms of the unknowns C1, C2, ... , Cn.

EXAMPLE 5.8
Find the approximate deflection of a simply supported beam under a uniformly distributed load p
(Figure 5.2) using the least squares method.

Approach: Assume an approximate solution satisfying the boundary conditions with two unknown
constants. Use the conditions to minimize the integral of the square of the residue over the length of
the beam to evaluate the constants.

Solution
The governing differential equation and the boundary conditions are the same as those given in Eqs.
(E.1) and (E.2), respectively, of Example 5.6. By assuming the trial solution as

wðxÞ = C1 f1 ðxÞ + C2 f2 ðxÞ (E.1)

e
where
   
πx 3πx
f1 ðxÞ = sin and f2 ðxÞ = sin (E.2)
l l
the residual, R, becomes
 4    4  
d4 w π πx 3π 3πx
R = EI − p = EIC 1 sin + EIC 2 sin −p (E.3)
dx4 l l l l