M.

Vable

MEEM 5170: Lagrange Polynomials 1-D

Fall 2015

Lagrange Polynomials 1-D

u2

u1

x
x1 Node 1

Node 2

x2

x1 Node 1
x2

linear element
Linear Element: u x C 1 + C 2 x

u x1 = C1 + C2 x1 = u

i 1 u i L i x j

uj

Node 3

x xj

i j

u x2 = C1 + C2 x2 = u
x x2
x 1 x 2

L1 x ----------------
2

ux

i 1 u i L i x

1
0

i j

Li x j

Li x j=1 ------------------ xi xj

2
u L x
i 1 i i

Quadratic Element: u x = C 1 + C 2 x + C 3 x 2
n

Node 2

u3

quadratic element

x x2
x x1
u x u 1 ---------------- u 2 ---------------- u 1 L1 x u 2 L2 x
x 1 x 2
x 2 x 1

u xj

u2

u1

ij

x x1
x 2 x 1

L2 x ----------------

M. Vable

MEEM 5170: Lagrange Polynomials 1-D

Node 1

Node 2

Node 1

Node 2

Fall 2015

Node 3

L1(x)

L1(x)

x
1

L2(x)

x
1

L2(x)

x x2 x x3
x 1 x 2 x 1 x 3

L1 x ---------------- ----------------

x x1 x x3
x 2 x 1 x 2 x 3

L2 x = ---------------- ----------------

L3(x)

(a)

x x1 x x2
x 3 x 1 x 3 x 2

L3 x ---------------- ----------------

(b)

Continuity of displacement
Discontinuity of derivative
u2

u1
1

2
element 1

u3

u2

u1

u3

element 1

element 2

Natural Coordinates

Non-dimensional coordinates are called natural coordinates in finite element method.

u4

u5
4

element 2

M. Vable

MEEM 5170: Lagrange Polynomials 1-D

= xL

01

Node 1

1 1

Node 2

Node 1

Node 2

Natural coordinates used for approximating the geometry as well as the generalized displacements.
Curved rod: x =

= 2x L

or

Fall 2015

i 1 x i L i

y =

i 1 y i Li

Isoparametric elements are elements in which geometric transformation and the generalized displacements are approximated by
the same interpolation functions.
Natural coordinates used in numerical integration.
Linear
Quadratic

L1 1

L1 = 1 1 2

L2 =

L2 = 4 1

L3 = 1 2

M. Vable

C1

MEEM 5170: Lagrange Polynomials 1-D

Obtain the quadratic Lagrange polynomial using the natural coordinate shown below.
Node 1

Node 2

= 1

Node 3

= 1

Fall 2015