1980, M. : MSU, 167 s. The book describes the finite element method in relation to some problems of distributed systems dynamics. Considerable attention is paid to reducing the volume of calculations while maintaining the accuracy of the solution. The main part of the book is devoted to the construction of computational models and algorithms for analyzing the oscillations of flat elastic bodies and their stability during gas flow. In concrete examples, the physical interpretation of the results of the numerical study is given, and the accuracy of various models is discussed. The finite element method is also generalized to some self-impact tasks in the propagation of light beams in nonlinear media.