2017 Q 1. What Is Weighted Residual Method ?: Previous Year Solution: Finite Element Method

PREVIOUS YEAR SOLUTION : FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
2017
Q 1. What is Weighted Residual Method ?
ANS - Weighted residual method is a generic class of method developed to obtain approximate
solution to the differential equations of the form
L (φ) + f = 0 in D
where φ(x) is the dependent variable and is unknown and f(x) is a known function. L denotes
the differential operator involving spatial derivative of φ, which specifies the actual form of
the differential equation.
Weighted residual method involves two major steps. In the first step, an approximate solution
based on the general behaviour of the dependent variable is assumed. The assumed solution is
often selected so as to satisfy the boundary conditions for φ. This assumed solution is then
substituted in the differential equation. Since the assumed solution is only approximate, it does
not in general satisfy the differential equation and hence results in an error or what we call a
residual. The residual is then made to vanish in some average sense over the entire solution
domain to produce a system of algebraic equations. The second step is to solve the system of
equations resulting from the first step subject to the prescribed boundary condition to yield the
approximate solution sought.
Let ψ(x) ≈ φ(x), is an approximate solution to the differential equation. When ψ(x) is
substituted in the differential equation, it is unlikely that the equation is satisfied. That is, we
have
L (ψ)+ f ≠ 0.
Or we may write
L (ψ)+ f = R
where R(x) is a measure of error commonly referred to as the residual.
Multiply equation by an arbitrary weight function w(x) and integrating over the domain D to
obtain
∫ w[L (φ) + f]dD = 0 (3)

Equations (15) and (3) equivalent. Replacing φ by ψ in equation (3) results in
∫ w[L (φ) + f]dD = ∫ w(x)R(x)dD ≠ 0 (4)

The integral in (4) gives the weighted average of the residual over the solution domain. In
weighted residual method we force this integral to vanish over the solution domain. That is,
∫ w(x)R(x)dD = 0
With regards to the selection of weight function, we have several choices. Hence, depending
upon nature of weight function, we have different types of weighted residual methods. Some
of the standard methods are:
1. Least Square Method

In the least square weighted residual method, the weight functions are chosen to be the
derivatives of residual with respect to unknown fitting coefficients ci ’s of the approximate
solution. So, we set
𝜕𝑅
w𝑖 = (i = 1,2,··· , n)
𝜕𝐶𝑖
Thus, for a one-dimensional problem in the interval [a,b], the weighted residual integral given
by equation (8) becomes Z b a
𝑏 𝑏 𝜕𝑅
∫𝑎 (w𝑖 , R) = ∫𝑎 𝜕𝐶𝑖
𝑅(𝑥)𝑑𝑥 = 0 (i = 1,2,··· ,n)
The motivation for this choice of weight function is that we have the following equation
𝜕 𝑏 2
∫ 𝑅 (𝑥)𝑑𝑥 = 0
𝜕𝐶𝑖 𝑎
which implies that the ‘average squared residual’ in the interval [a,b] is to be minimized with
respect to fitting coefficients ci
2. Point Collocation Method

In point collocation method, the weight function is selected in such a way that the residual can
be set equal to zero at n distinct points in the domain. This can be achieved by choosing weight
function as the displaced Dirac delta function. So, for one-dimensional case,
∞ 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥𝑖
𝑤𝑖 = 𝛿(𝑥 − 𝑥𝑖 ) = {
0 𝑒𝑙𝑠𝑒
where the fixed points xi ∈ [a,b], (i = 1,2,··· ,n) are called collocation points. The number of
collocation points selected must be equal to the number of unknown coefficients ci ’s in the
definition of approximating function, ψ(x). The displaced Dirac delta function has the property
that
𝑏
(w𝑖 , R) = ∫𝑎 𝛿(𝑥 − 𝑥𝑖 )𝑅𝑑𝑥 = 𝑅(𝑥𝑖 ) (8)
Thus, from equation (8) we have

R(xi) = 0, i = 1,2,··· ,n (12)
i.e., the residual R(x) is forced to be zero at n collocation points.
3. Galerkin Method
In Galerkin version of weighted residual method, the weight functions are chosen to be the trial
functions themselves. This is the method we usually used for developing finite element
equations for field problems. So, in Galerkin method we set
wi = Ni , (i = 1,2,··· ,n).
The unknown coefficients in the approximate solution are determined by setting the integral
over D of the weighted residual to zero. For one-dimensional problem in the interval [a,b], this
procedure will results
𝑏 𝑏
∫𝑎 w𝑖 R(x) dx = ∫𝑎 𝑁𝑖 𝑅(𝑥)𝑑𝑥 = 0 (i = 1,2,··· ,n)

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PREVIOUS YEAR SOLUTION : FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

∫ w[L (φ) + f]dD = 0 (3)

∫ w[L (φ) + f]dD = ∫ w(x)R(x)dD ≠ 0 (4)

1. Least Square Method

2. Point Collocation Method

Thus, from equation (8) we have

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