Author(s)

M. Dufresne & P.P. Silvester

Abstract

data structures for finite element software M. Dufresne, P.P Silvester Department of Electrical Engineering, McGill University, 3480 University Street, Montreal, Canada H3A 2A7 ABSTRACT The data requirements of finite element programs are stated by defining suitable abstract data types. These abstractions are first reduced to data structures and a group of associated algorithms, then implemented in an object-oriented language (C-f-f) as object classes. Inheritance is used to group common functions such as input-output management and selection of objects by Boolean operations on their instance variables. Operations are thereby isolated from specific element types and uniformity of treat- ment is guaranteed for all species of finite elements. The central data type is an n-relation implemented as a tuple of variable internal struc- ture. Any finite element program may be described in terms of five canonical relational tables: nodes, boundary conditions, sources, m

Keywords