Mathematical Problems in Engineering
Volume 2008 (2008), Article ID 394103, 13 pages
doi:10.1155/2008/394103
Research Article
An Approximate Solution for Boundary Value Problems in Structural
Engineering and Fluid Mechanics
1Departments of Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, Mazandaran University of Technology, P.O. Box 484, Babol, Iran
2Technical and Engineering Faculty, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran
Received 10 January 2008; Accepted 19 May 2008
Academic Editor: David Chelidze
Copyright © 2008 A. Barari et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Variational iteration method (VIM) is applied to solve linear and nonlinear boundary value problems with particular significance in structural engineering and fluid mechanics. These problems are used as mathematical models in viscoelastic and inelastic flows, deformation of beams, and plate deflection theory. Comparison is made between the exact solutions and the results of the variational iteration method (VIM). The results reveal that this method is very effective and simple, and that it yields the exact solutions. It was shown that this method can be used effectively for solving linear and nonlinear boundary value problems.