Finite Element Method

  A powerful method for solving partial differential equations (PDE) in problem regions with complicated boundaries, if the PDE is equivalent to the minimization problem for a variational integral. The method requires the definition of elementary volumes, for each of which the integral can be approximated as a function of node values of the unknown functions. The sum of these variational integral values will be minimized by the method as a function of the node values.

For a more detailed discussion and examples, e.g. [Press95], [Ames77].