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First, we need to enter the number of divisions for each side. This specifies the number of elements that will be created along each side. Opposite sides need to have an equal number of divisions. So, in the above schematic of vertex positions, sides 1 and 3 should have an equal number of divisions as should sides 2 and 4. (Notice that sides are numbered in the same counterclockwise order as vertices, starting at the first vertex.) We

It is important to note that the number of subdivisions can greatly affect the solution. If too few subdivisions are used the program's output might not represent the true state of stress well; if too many subdivisions are used, the program may run for hours or fail. Because of the simplicity of this problem, we do not need to use a very fine mesh: we'll use 6 divisions for each side. So enter 6 for Side 1-3 divs as well as Side 2-4 divs (see figure below).

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