In
numerical mathematics
Numerical analysis is the study of algorithms that use numerical approximation (as opposed to symbolic manipulations) for the problems of mathematical analysis (as distinguished from discrete mathematics). It is the study of numerical methods th ...
, the constant strain triangle element, also known as the CST element or T3 element, is a type of element used in
finite element analysis
Finite element method (FEM) is a popular method for numerically solving differential equations arising in engineering and mathematical models, mathematical modeling. Typical problem areas of interest include the traditional fields of structural ...
which is used to provide an approximate solution in a 2D domain to the exact solution of a given
differential equation.
The name of this element reflects how the
partial derivative
In mathematics, a partial derivative of a function of several variables is its derivative with respect to one of those variables, with the others held constant (as opposed to the total derivative, in which all variables are allowed to vary). P ...
s of this element's shape function are
linear function
In mathematics, the term linear function refers to two distinct but related notions:
* In calculus and related areas, a linear function is a function whose graph is a straight line, that is, a polynomial function of degree zero or one. For di ...
s. When applied to
plane stress and
plane strain
Plane most often refers to:
* Aero- or airplane, a powered, fixed-wing aircraft
* Plane (geometry), a flat, 2-dimensional surface
* Plane (mathematics), generalizations of a geometrical plane
Plane or planes may also refer to:
Biology
* Pl ...
problems, this means that the approximate solution obtained for the stress and strain fields are constant throughout the element's domain.
The element provides an approximation for the exact solution of a partial differential equation which is parametrized
barycentric coordinate system (mathematics)
FEM elements
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