This book presents an introduction to the Finite Element Method (FEM) and is primarily aimed

at students, engineers and scientists who already know structural calculation. It starts from

the matrix reformulation of the direct stiffness method to understand the enormous potential

of introducing the idea of the weak formulation for the approximation of strut structure

problems. The correspondence of results between the initial classical formulation and that

of the FEM when using linear shape functions and Hermite polynomials, makes it possible to

approach its general formulation more easily as a procedure to obtain approximate solutions

of differential equations in partial derivatives. It is essential now to introduce the idea of

element, which allows, from the definition of a reduced number of base functions and through

a simple combination process, to approximate its real behavior and, through superposition,

that of the structure.