08/03/2026
The Weekly Reflektion 11/2026
Computer simulations are used extensively in industry and numerical analysis is an inherent part of the simulation process. Finite element analysis in the design of structures and computational fluid dynamics in aerodynamics, are two examples. The more we use these simulations the more familiar we become and the less critical we are of their flaws and limitations. We take it for granted that the results of the simulation will lead to an acceptable design. Aesop, when composing his fables, and Chaucer, when composing his tales, both highlighted the danger of familiarity breeding contempt. And they didn’t have a computer.
Does your familiarity breed contempt?
Mathematician Manil Suri in his Scientific American discussion of crack modeling, raised a concern on the application of computer simulations. These often produce results that appear precise and authoritative, even when the underlying assumptions are flawed. According to Suri, the mathematics of cracking and structural failure is extremely sensitive to modeling choices. Small inaccuracies in geometry, material behavior, or boundary conditions can lead to dramatically different predictions about when and where cracks will form. Without critical review by experienced and competent engineers, the simulation results could lead to a flawed design.
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