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An element is an individual, discrete part of the meshed domain on which equations are applied. Each element connects at nodes and can have various shapes like triangles, quadrilaterals, tetrahedra, etc.

Boundary conditions are constraints applied to nodes or elements that specify the behavior at the boundaries of the structure, such as fixed supports or applied loads.

The load vector contains the external forces applied to the nodes of the elements in the structure. It is used in conjunction with the stiffness matrix to solve the system of equations.

Meshing is the process of dividing a structure into smaller parts called elements, which facilitates the approximation of the structure's behavior under various conditions.

A stiffness matrix is a square matrix that relates the vector of displacements to the vector of forces at the nodes of an element. It is a fundamental component in the formulation of the Finite Element Method.

A node is a specific point at which elements are connected. Nodes are crucial for defining the geometry of the mesh and for formulating the system of equations that describe the physical problem.

Shape functions are mathematical functions used to interpolate the solution over the geometry of an element. They play a key role in determining how the displacement varies within the element.

Degrees of freedom refer to the independent displacements and rotations that specify the position and orientation of an element within a structure.

Assembly is the process of combining individual element stiffness matrices and load vectors into a global system that represents the entire structure.

Gauss Quadrature is a numerical integration method used to accurately calculate the integrals within the element stiffness matrix and load vector, especially when the exact integration is not feasible.

Isoparametric elements use the same shape functions for geometry definition and displacement approximation, allowing for more complex and accurate modeling of geometry and field variables.

Convergence refers to the behavior of the solution of the Finite Element Method as the mesh is refined. A solution is convergent if it approaches the exact solution of the physical problem as the mesh becomes finer.

Discretization error is the error associated with the approximation of a continuous problem by a discrete model, as in the case of constructing a finite element mesh.

Post-processing involves analyzing and visualizing the results obtained from a Finite Element Analysis, including displacement, stresses, and strains within the structure.