A historical outline of matrix structural analysis: a play in three acts

The evolution of matrix structural analysis (MSA) from 1930 through 1970 is outlined. Highlighted are major contributions by Collar and Duncan, Argyris, and Turner, which shaped this evolution. To enliven the narrative the outline is configured as a three-act play. Act I describes the pre-WWII formative period. Act II spans a period of confusion during which matrix methods assumed bewildering complexity in response to conflicting demands and restrictions. Act III outlines the cleanup and consolidation driven by the appearance of the direct stiffness method, through which MSA completed morphing into the present implementation of the finite element method (FEM). No attempt is made at chronicling the more complex history of FEM itself.