Towards automating the finite element method: A test-bed for soft computing

A program to automate the finite element method (FEM) using various soft-computing techniques is presented. The overall program is discussed, and the implementations of three specific sub-problems (mesh placement, node numbering, and adaptive meshing) are described. It is also argued that the overall architecture of an "intelligent finite element package" can serve as a "test-bed" for many soft-computing techniques.