From the back cover of the 1991 first edition: 'The Finite Element Method (FEM) is now an indispensable technique for the solution of engineering and scientific problems in a wide variety of areas such as Heat Transfer, Acoustics, Electromagnetism, Fluid Mechanics and Solid Mechanics. Avoiding a highly mathematical presentation, this book provides a concise and coherent introduction to the fundamental principles of the FEM. The emphasis is on presenting finite elements as an approximate numerical technique for the solution of boundary value problems... This book will be highly suitable for students in aeronautical, civil and mechanical engineering and applied mathematics, who are taking a course on the FEM. Professional engineers will also find the concise and applied approach extremely useful.'