A Brief History
Finite Element Analysis
(FEA) was first developed in 1943 by R. Courant, who utilized the Ritz method
of numerical analysis and minimization of variational calculus to obtain
approximate solutions to vibration systems. Shortly thereafter, a paper published
in 1956 by M. J. Turner, R. W. Clough, H. C. Martin, and L. J. Topp established
a broader definition of numerical analysis. The paper centered on the
"stiffness and deflection of complex structures".