TWO-DIMENSIONAL (RECTANGULAR) ELEMENTS 133

4.5.2 Quadratic Element

If φ(x) is assumed to vary quadratically along x and the values of φ(x) at three points x1 ,
x2 , and x3 are taken as nodal unknowns, φ(x) can be expressed in terms of three-station
Lagrange interpolation polynomials as

 (e) = [N1
φ(x) = [N ]Φ N2  (e)
N3 ]Φ (4.75)

where
(x − x2 )(x − x3 )
N1 = L1 (x) = ,
(x1 − x2 )(x1 − x3 )
(x − x1 )(x − x3 )
N2 = L2 (x) = ,
(x2 − x1 )(x2 − x3 )
(x − x1 )(x − x2 )
N3 = L3 (x) = ,
(x3 − x1 )(x3 − x2 )

and
⎧ ⎫(e) ⎧ ⎫(e)
⎨Φ1 ⎬ ⎨φ(x = x1 )⎬
 (e)
Φ = Φ2 = φ(x = x2 )
⎩ ⎭ ⎩ ⎭
Φ3 φ(x = x3 )

4.5.3 Cubic Element

If φ(x) is to be taken as a cubic polynomial and if the values of φ(x) and (dφ/dx)(x) at
two nodes are taken as nodal unknowns, the first-order Hermite polynomials can be used
to express φ(x) as

 (e) = [N1
φ(x) = [N ]Φ N2 N3  (e)
N4 ]Φ (4.76)

where
(1) (1) (1) (1)
N1 (x) = H01 (x), N2 (x) = H11 (x), N3 (x) = H02 (x), N4 (x) = H12 (x)

and
⎧ ⎫(e)
⎧ ⎫(e) ⎪ ⎪ φ(x = x1 ) ⎪
⎪
⎪
⎪ ⎪
⎪
⎪Φ
⎪ ⎪ ⎪ ⎪
⎪ dφ ⎪
⎨ (x = x1 )⎪
1
⎨ ⎬ ⎬
 (e) Φ2 dx
Φ = ≡
⎪
⎪Φ3 ⎪ ⎪ φ(x = x2 ) ⎪
⎩ ⎪ ⎭ ⎪
⎪
⎪
⎪
⎪
⎪
Φ4 ⎪
⎪ ⎪
⎩ (x = x2 )⎪
dφ ⎭
dx

4.6 TWO-DIMENSIONAL (RECTANGULAR) ELEMENTS USING CLASSICAL

INTERPOLATION POLYNOMIALS
4.6.1 Using Lagrange Interpolation Polynomials
The Lagrange interpolation polynomials defined in Eq. (4.52) for one-dimensional
problems can be used to construct interpolation functions for two- or higher
134 HIGHER ORDER AND ISOPARAMETRIC ELEMENTS

Figure 4.15. Location of Nodes in Rectangular Elements.

dimensional problems. For example, in two dimensions, the product of Lagrange inter-
polation polynomials in x and y directions can be used to represent the interpolation
functions of a rectangular element as [see Figure 4.15(a)]

 (e) = [N1
φ(r, s) = [N ]Φ N2 N3  (e)
N4 ]Φ (4.77)

where

Ni (r, s) = Li (r) · Li (s), i = 1, 2, 3, 4 (4.78)

and
⎧ ⎫(e) ⎧ ⎫(e)
⎪
⎪Φ1 ⎪
⎪ ⎪
⎪φ(r = −1, s = −1)⎪⎪
⎨ ⎬ ⎨ ⎬
 (e) Φ2 φ(r = 1, s = −1)
Φ = = (4.79)
⎪
⎪Φ3 ⎪ ⎪ φ(r = 1, s = 1) ⎪
⎩ ⎪ ⎭ ⎪
⎩ ⎪
⎭
Φ4 φ(r = −1, s = 1)

Li (r) and Li (s) denote Lagrange interpolation polynomials in r and s directions

corresponding to node i and are defined, with reference to Figure 4.15(a), as

r − r2 r − r1 r − r4 r − r3
L1 (r) = , L2 (r) = , L3 (r) = , L4 (r) =
r1 − r2 r2 − r1 r3 − r4 r4 − r3
s − s4 s − s3 s − s2 s − s1
L1 (s) = , L2 (s) = , L3 (s) = , L4 (s) = (4.80)
s1 − s4 s2 − s3 s3 − s2 s4 − s1

The nodal interpolation functions Ni given by Eq. (4.78) are called “bilinear” since they
are defined as products of two linear functions.
The higher order elements, such as biquadratic and bicubic elements, can be formu-
lated precisely the same way by taking products of Lagrange interpolation polynomials of
degree two and three, respectively, as

Ni (r, s) = Li (r) · Li (s) (4.81)

 TWO-DIMENSIONAL (RECTANGULAR) ELEMENTS 135

where Li (r) and Li (s) can be obtained with the help of Eq. (4.52) and Figures 4.15(b)
and 4.15(c). For example, in the case of the biquadratic element shown in Figure 4.15(b),
the Lagrange interpolation polynomials are defined as follows:

(r − r2 )(r − r3 ) (s − s4 )(s − s7 )
L1 (r) = , L1 (s) = (4.82)
(r1 − r2 )(r1 − r3 ) (s1 − s4 )(s1 − s7 )

(r − r1 )(r − r3 ) (s − s5 )(s − s8 )
L2 (r) = , L2 (s) = (4.83)
(r2 − r1 )(r2 − r3 ) (s2 − s5 )(s2 − s8 )

etc. In this case, node 5 represents an interior node. It can be observed that the higher
order Lagrangian elements contain a large number of interior nodes and this limits the
usefulness of these elements. Of course, a technique known as “static condensation” can
be used to suppress the degrees of freedom associated with the internal nodes in the final
computation (see problem 12.7).

4.6.2 Using Hermite Interpolation Polynomials

Just as we have done with Lagrange interpolation polynomials, we can form products of
one-dimensional Hermite polynomials and derive the nodal interpolation functions Ni for
rectangular elements. If we use first-order Hermite polynomials for this purpose, we have
to take the values of φ, (∂φ/∂x), (∂φ/∂y), and (∂ 2 φ/∂x∂y) as nodal degrees of freedom
at each of the four corner nodes. Thus, by using a two-number scheme for identifying the
nodes of the rectangle as shown in Figure 4.16, the interpolation model for φ(x, y) can be
expressed as

 

2
2
(1) (1) (1) (1) ∂φ
φ(x, y) = H0i (x) · H0j (y) · φij + H1i (x) · H0j (y) ·
i=1 j=1
∂x ij

   
(1) (1) ∂φ (1) (1) ∂2φ
+ H0i (x) · H1j (y) · + H1i (x) · H1j (y) · (4.84)
∂y ij ∂x∂y ij

Figure 4.16. Rectangular Element with 16 Degrees of Freedom.