Those that are interested in theis Introductory book may find my latest one, “Using Finite Elements to Analyse Structures in Mathematica,” of interest. Both books are available for free, on the Notebook Archive. This second book is not a treatise on finite element theory but rather, a practical manual on how to use Wolfram’s excellent finite element solver, which is a standard part of Mathematica, on typical engineering problems.
The book commences by solving simple problems such as slabs or walls. This introduces the process and shows how to go from the solution for displacement to bending moments. The models become more complex as the book progresses. Various boundary conditions are discussed, and ways of applying loads are shown. Different methods of constructing the model, either from within Mathematica or by importing models constructed in a CAD program, are demonstrated.
Several cases of structure/soil interaction are shown with the soil modelled in various ways and particular attention is applied to getting the output in a suitable form eg. by applying Wood Armer corrections to stress for reinforced slabs or walls, or getting polar and tangential moments for circular structures.
Structures tackled include circular and rectangular tanks or basements, on rigid foundations, elastic springs or emebedded in soil, rafts and piled rafts, and structures such as sea walls or soil nail anchor blocks. Finishing with thick shell structures.
The book is free, as is the previous introductory book. It is aimed at students and practising engineers to give them the confidence to use finite elements in their day to day work, without the cost of investing in a specialist program.
The book is available on the Notebook archive at https://www.notebookarchive.org/2026-01-dtiqavj. It’s free and there are no restrictions on its use. I hope engineers, professors, and students find it helpful
