39th International Conference on Boundary Elements and other Mesh Reduction Methods
20 - 22 September 2016
Siena, Italy
Introduction
The conference on Boundary Elements and other Mesh Reduction Methods, now in its 39th edition, is the recognised international forum for the latest advances in these techniques and their applications in science and engineering.
The history of the conference traces the evolution of these advanced methods since the first successful development of boundary integral techniques into BEM took place in Southampton in the mid-1970s, up to the emergence of the most recent Mesh Reduction Methods. The continued success of the conference is an indication of the strength of the research being carried out all over the world.
All the meetings since 1978 have produced a series of edited volumes in which the major developments in the field have been presented. This valuable collection has been available in digital form since 1993 when the volumes began to be archived in the Wessex Institute’s eLibrary (http://www.witpress.com/elibrary) where they can be easily accessed.
The objective of the research papers presented at the meetings is the further development of techniques that reduce or eliminate the type of meshes required by first generation computational methods, such as finite differences or finite elements. This has slowly been achieved through the development of BEM as a computational tool and continues through more recent research into advanced techniques, leading to further mesh reduction aiming to produce a truly meshless method in the future.
The meeting also encourages the presentation of papers on the use of BEM and, in particular, the description of new applications. Problems related to interface with other techniques, processes such as finite elements; the solution of large systems of equations and the direct coupling of BEM to rapid manufacturing are also welcome.
The annual meeting of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Engineering Analysis with Boundary Elements (EABE) will take place during the Conference. The Journal has successfully become the main publication not only for Boundary Elements but for papers in the important field of Mesh Reduction Techniques.
The George Green Medal has been established by the University of Mississippi at Oxford, Mississippi, USA and the Wessex Institute, UK to honour the memory of the man who single-handedly set up the basis for the Boundary Element Method among other achievements.
George Green (1793-1841) was a self-taught genius who mysteriously delivered one of the most influential mathematics and physics works of all time. He educated himself in mathematics and self-published the work “An Essay on the Application of Mathematical Analysis to the Theories of Electricity and Magnetism”. In his very first article, he derived the Green’s first, second, and third identities, forged the concept of Green’s function, and solved the problem of electrical potential created by a single charge placed inside a spherical metal shell. The idea of Green’s function forever changed the landscape of science, as many physics and mathematics problems have been solved using this technique. As Green died early, and his work was discovered only posthumously, it remains a mystery today how Green could produce such a masterpiece without the guidance of a great teacher or school and, in fact, without a formal education. Only recently, due to the advent of powerful computers, has it been possible to take full advantage of Green’s pioneering developments.
The Medal is awarded to those scientists who have carried out original work with practical applications in the field of Boundary Elements and other Mesh Reduction Methods, continuing in this manner to further develop the pioneering ideas of George Green. They are also persons of the highest integrity who, by sharing their knowledge, have helped to establish research groups all around the world.
The selection process is conducted by a panel of internationally recognized scientists. The Medal is given once a year and presented during the conference.
Conference Topics
The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at BEM/MRM 39. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.
- Advanced formulations
- Advanced meshless and mesh reduction methods
- Structural mechanics applications
- Solid mechanics
- Heat and mass transfer
- Electrical engineering and electromagnetics
- Computational methods
- Fluid flow modelling
- Damage mechanics and fracture
- Dynamics and vibrations
- Engineering applications
- Interfacing with other methods
- Coupling with manufacturing
- Solution of large systems of equations
Find out more on the conference webpage.