An energy approach to the boundary element method. I: Elastic solids (Q1094200)

An energy formulation of the boundary element method (BEM) is presented, which is a symmetric and definite formulation, i.e. preserving both symmetry and definiteness of the basic operators. The results of this research are included in twin papers, one devoted to elastic solids, the other to elastic-plastic ones. The former paper shows that the equations which govern the BE discretized model provide the actual response of it in terms of generalized boundary tractions and displacements, under body actions continuously specified within the domain, as well as under boundary actions specified solely through generalized load parameters. Imposed strains (like thermal strains) are also introduced. The properties of some operators and of the solution they are able to provide are discussed.