Abstract
It is shown in this paper that resistance networks are capable of very high accuracy in the solution of partial differential equations with given boundary conditions, as the networks possess certain averaging properties. Fairly exhaustive tests carried out on a resistance network constructed by the author gave accuracies in the range of 1 part in 1 000 to 1 part in 10 000. The design of this resistance network is described; it is of the axially symmetrical type, with 60 meshes in the z-direction and 20 meshes in the r-direction, and is surrounded by a termination strip. Fifty current feeding points for adjusting boundary conditions are provided. The boundaries of the models need not coincide with the mesh points as correction can be made by local modifications of the network. It is also possible to take measurements within a mesh of the network and to simulate the introduction of dielectric material into an electric field. The high accuracy, and simplicity and speed of operation, make the resistance network a useful tool in the investigation of field distributions in many branches of science and engineering.