Engineering Software Research & Development

We at ESRD preach and practice solution verification. We believe that reporting data computed by an approximate method is incomplete without providing an estimate of the size of the relative error. This simple and self-evident statement tends to trigger fierce resistance from those who were schooled in the use of legacy finite element modeling tools. But why?

In a letter published in Science in 1963, Bernard K. Forscher used the metaphor of building edifices to represent the construction of scientific models, also called laws. These models explain observed phenomena and make predictions beyond the observations made. Building models consistent with the science of numerical simulation should never be confused with finite element modeling, an activity rooted in pre-1970s thinking. We should keep Forscher's metaphor in mind when evaluating claims about the benefits AI integration is expected to bring to numerical simulation.

From all of us at ESRD, we wish you a very happy holiday season! It's been an incredible year with much to be thankful for, and our StressCheck user community is top of that list! We hope that you and your families enjoy some time away with relaxation, stories from the year past, and excitement for the year coming. Thank you for being such a wonderful part of ours. Cheers! If you have a few minutes, we'd like to share a few highlights from an action-packed 2024.