The MIT mission - "to bring together Industry and Academia and to nurture the next generation in computational mechanics is of great importance to reach the new level of mathematical modeling and numerical solution and to provide an exciting research environment for the next generation in computational mechanics." Mathematical modeling and numerical solution is today firmly established in science and engineering. Research conducted in almost all branches of scientific investigations and the design of systems in practically all disciplines of engineering can not be pursued effectively without, frequently, intensive analysis based on numerical computations.The world we live in has been classified by the human mind, for descriptive and analysis purposes, to consist of fluids and solids, continua and molecules; and the analyses of fluids and solids at the continuum and molecular scales have traditionally been pursued separately. Fundamentally, however, there are only molecules and particles for any material that interact on the microscopic and macroscopic scales. Therefore, to unify the analysis of physical systems and to reach a deeper understanding of the behavior of nature in scientific investigations, and of the behavior of designs in engineering endeavors, a new level of analysis is necessary. This new level of mathematical modeling and numerical solution does not merely involve the analysis of a single medium but must encompass the solution of multi-physics problems involving fluids, solids, and their interactions, involving multi-scale phenomena from the molecular to the macroscopic scales, and must include uncertainties in the given data and the solution results. Nature does not distinguish between fluids and solids and does not ever repeat itself exactly.This new level of analysis must also include, in engineering, the effective optimization of systems, and the modeling and analysis of complete life spans of engineering products, from design to fabrication, to possibly multiple repairs, to end of service.

"To my knowledge [this] is the first book to address specifically the use of high-order discretizations in the time domain to solve wave equations. [...] I recommend the book for its clear and cogent coverage of the material selected by its author." --Physics Today, March 2003

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Advances in Vibroacoustics and Aeroacustics of Aerospace and Automotive Systems" that was published in Applied Sciences

An informative look at the theory, computer implementation, and application of the scaled boundary finite element method This reliable resource, complete with MATLAB, is an easy-to-understand introduction to the fundamental principles of the scaled boundary finite element method. It establishes the theory of the scaled boundary finite element method systematically as a general numerical procedure, providing the reader with a sound knowledge to expand the applications of this method to a broader scope. The book also presents the applications of the scaled boundary finite element to illustrate its salient features and potentials. The Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method: Introduction to Theory and Implementation covers the static and dynamic stress analysis of solids in two and three dimensions. The relevant concepts, theory and modelling issues of the scaled boundary finite element method are discussed and the unique features of the method are highlighted. The applications in computational fracture mechanics are detailed with numerical examples. A unified mesh generation procedure based on quadtree/octree algorithm is described. It also presents examples of fully automatic stress analysis of geometric models in NURBS, STL and digital images. Written in lucid and easy to understand language by the co-inventor of the scaled boundary element method Provides MATLAB as an integral part of the book with the code cross-referenced in the text and the use of the code illustrated by examples Presents new developments in the scaled boundary finite element method with illustrative examples so that readers can appreciate the significant features and potentials of this novel method—especially in emerging technologies such as 3D printing, virtual reality, and digital image-based analysis The Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method: Introduction to Theory and Implementation is an ideal book for researchers, software developers, numerical analysts, and postgraduate students in many fields of engineering and science.