Viewpoint: Yes, finite element studies have limited usefulness because they produce idealized data that may be useful for theoretical analysis but could produce serious errors in real-world machines or structures.

Viewpoint: No, most finite element studies are useful and are being validated in ever-increasing numbers of computer-aided design (CAD) applications.

In solving any problem, even those that arise in ordinary life, it is a common belief that the best way to attack the situation is to reduce it to smaller parts. This is the essence of the finite element study, a technique in engineering based on the idea of dividing structures into smaller parts or elements for the purposes of study and analysis. Finite element studies are based in finite...