- For the Q8 element, you'll have eight shape functions corresponding to the eight nodes of the element. Define each node using polar coordinates (r, theta). You can store these in individual arrays for both r and theta.
- Calculate the derivatives of the shape functions with respect to the local coordinates using the 'diff' function. These derivatives represent the gradients of the shape functions and are used to determine the mapping between the local and global coordinates.
- The Jacobian matrix is computed by evaluating the derivatives of the shape functions with respect to the local coordinates and multiplying them by the nodal coordinates.
- For example:
- Next, the determinant of the Jacobian matrix is calculated to ensure that the element is not degenerate. A degenerate element can lead to inaccurate results or convergence issues in the finite element analysis. You can use the 'det' function to calculate the determinant of your Matrix.