Can ChatGPT implement finite element models for geotechnical engineering applications?

Fuente: arXiv
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Hauptverfasser: Kim, Taegu, Yun, Tae Sup, Suh, Hyoung Suk
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2025
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author Kim, Taegu
Yun, Tae Sup
Suh, Hyoung Suk
author_facet Kim, Taegu
Yun, Tae Sup
Suh, Hyoung Suk
contents This study assesses the capability of ChatGPT to generate finite element code for geotechnical engineering applications from a set of prompts. We tested three different initial boundary value problems using a hydro-mechanically coupled formulation for unsaturated soils, including the dissipation of excess pore water pressure through fluid mass diffusion in one-dimensional space, time-dependent differential settlement of a strip footing, and gravity-driven seepage. For each case, initial prompting involved providing ChatGPT with necessary information for finite element implementation, such as balance and constitutive equations, problem geometry, initial and boundary conditions, material properties, and spatiotemporal discretization and solution strategies. Any errors and unexpected results were further addressed through prompt augmentation processes until the ChatGPT-generated finite element code passed the verification/validation test. Our results demonstrate that ChatGPT required minimal code revisions when using the FEniCS finite element library, owing to its high-level interfaces that enable efficient programming. In contrast, the MATLAB code generated by ChatGPT necessitated extensive prompt augmentations and/or direct human intervention, as it involves a significant amount of low-level programming required for finite element analysis, such as constructing shape functions or assembling global matrices. Given that prompt engineering for this task requires an understanding of the mathematical formulation and numerical techniques, this study suggests that while a large language model may not yet replace human programmers, it can greatly assist in the implementation of numerical models.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_02199
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Can ChatGPT implement finite element models for geotechnical engineering applications?
Kim, Taegu
Yun, Tae Sup
Suh, Hyoung Suk
Numerical Analysis
Artificial Intelligence
This study assesses the capability of ChatGPT to generate finite element code for geotechnical engineering applications from a set of prompts. We tested three different initial boundary value problems using a hydro-mechanically coupled formulation for unsaturated soils, including the dissipation of excess pore water pressure through fluid mass diffusion in one-dimensional space, time-dependent differential settlement of a strip footing, and gravity-driven seepage. For each case, initial prompting involved providing ChatGPT with necessary information for finite element implementation, such as balance and constitutive equations, problem geometry, initial and boundary conditions, material properties, and spatiotemporal discretization and solution strategies. Any errors and unexpected results were further addressed through prompt augmentation processes until the ChatGPT-generated finite element code passed the verification/validation test. Our results demonstrate that ChatGPT required minimal code revisions when using the FEniCS finite element library, owing to its high-level interfaces that enable efficient programming. In contrast, the MATLAB code generated by ChatGPT necessitated extensive prompt augmentations and/or direct human intervention, as it involves a significant amount of low-level programming required for finite element analysis, such as constructing shape functions or assembling global matrices. Given that prompt engineering for this task requires an understanding of the mathematical formulation and numerical techniques, this study suggests that while a large language model may not yet replace human programmers, it can greatly assist in the implementation of numerical models.
title Can ChatGPT implement finite element models for geotechnical engineering applications?
topic Numerical Analysis
Artificial Intelligence
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.02199