INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY MADRAS, CHENNAI

Department of Civil Engineering

CE 5340 FEM and Constitutive Modelling in Geomechanics
Tutorial # 1: Matrix Algebra and Solution Techniques
Note: Make suitable assumptions wherever necessary.

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 ⎡ 4 − 2.236⎤
⎢− 2.236 8 ⎥⎦
⎣
8. Given that
⎡ 8 −2 0 ⎤ ⎧2⎫
⎪ ⎪
A = ⎢⎢− 2 4 − 3⎥⎥ d = ⎨− 1⎬
⎢⎣ 0 − 3 3 ⎥⎦ ⎪3⎪
⎩ ⎭
determine (a) I - ddT, (b) The eigen values and eigen vectors of A? Is A positive
definite? (c) The solution to Ax = d by hand calculation.
1 T
9. Express q = x1 – 6x2 + 3 x 12 + 5x1x2 in the matrix form x Qx + c T x .
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10. A symmetric matrix [A]n×n has bandwidth nbw and is stored in the matrix [B]n×nbw.
(a) Find the location in B that corresponds to A11,14.
(b) Find the location in A that corresponds to B6,1.

11. How to compute a best approximation to a vector from a subspace, with and without
an orthogonal basis?

12. How to solve a matrix-vector equation when the matrix is symmetric and its
eigenvalues and eigenvectors are known?

13. Solve the following set of equations using Gauss Elimination and Gauss-Jordan
methods.
2x1 + x2 – 3x3 = 11
4x1 − 2x2 + 3x3 = 8
–2x1 + 2x2 – x3 = –6

14. Explicitly verify the following properties of the Kronecker delta:

15. For the given matrix and vector

⎡1 1 1 ⎤ ⎡1 ⎤
[aij] = ⎢⎢0 4 2⎥⎥ , [bi] = ⎢⎢0⎥⎥
⎢⎣0 1 1 ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣2⎥⎦

Compute the following quantities: aii, aijaij, aijajk, aijbj, aijbibj, bibj, bibi. For each
quantity, point out whether the result is a scalar, vector or matrix.

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16. Define the following: (i) Algorithm, (ii) Pseudocode, (iii) Computer program, (iv)
Debugging, (v) Vector space, (vi) Linear independence, and (vii) Numerical model.
17. Develop a user-friendly subprogram in either a high-level or macro language of your
choice for Cholesky decomposition.
18. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of golden-section search, quadratic
interpolation, and Newton’s method for locating an optimum value in one dimension.

19. Find the directional derivative of f(x,y) = 2x2 + y2 at x = 2 and y = 2 in the direction
of h = 3i + 2j.

20. Develop a subprogram to implement the random search method.

21. (a) Develop a user-friendly computer program for the classical fourth-order RK
method. Test the program using examples.

(b) Develop a user-friendly computer program for system of equations using the
fourth-order RK method. Test the program using examples.

22. A second-order symmetric tensor field is given by

Using MATLAB (or similar software), investigate the nature of the variation of the
principal stresses and directions over the interval 1 ≤ x1 ≤ 2. Formally plot the
variation of the absolute value of each principal stress over the range 1 ≤ x1 ≤ 2.
23. Write a well-structured flowchart for a subroutine procedure to calculate r and θ as a
function of x and y. Express the final results for θ in degrees.
24. Develop well-structured function procedures to determine (a) the factorial; (b) the
minimum value in a vector; and (c) the average of the values in a vector.
25. Develop well-structured programs to (a) determine the square root of the sum of the
squares of the elements of a two-dimensional array (i.e., a matrix) and (b) normalize a
matrix by dividing each row by the maximum absolute value in the row so that the
maximum element in each row is 1.

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26. Write a program to read a set of numbers, count them, and calculate the mean,
variance, and standard deviation of the set of numbers. OR

27. Determine whether the following strains are possible in a continuous material:

Here c is a small constant, and it is assumed that εz = γxz = γyz = 0.

28. The displacement field and strain distribution in a soil mass have the form,

What are relationships connecting the constants, a’s, b’s, and c’s that make the above
expression possible?

29. Show that the second-order tensor aδij, where a is an arbitrary constant, retains its
form under any transformation Qij. This form is then an isotropic second-order tensor.
30. Determine if the following stress field is a valid solution of a plane elasticity problem:
σ x = 3a1 x 2 y , σ y = a1 y 3 , and τ xy = −3a1 xy 2 , where a1 is a constant. The body is
isotopic and linearly elastic, and body forces are zero.

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31.

32.

33.

34.

35.

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36. Explain the following:
(i) Error (ii) Precision (iii) Accuracy
(iv) Relative error (v) Roundoff errors (vi) Bit (vii) Byte
(viii) Floating-point representation (ix) Order of accuracy
(x) Mathematical modelling of a physical process.
37.

38.

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39.