Most texts on computational methods are borne out of research activities at postgraduate study programs, and this is no exception. After being introduced to the boundary element method (BEM) (then referred to as the boundary integral equation method (BIEM)) in 1981 by Prof. Jim Liggett of Cornell University, a number of graduate students and myself under his supervision took active interest in the development of the theory and its application to a wide range of engineering problems. We certainly achieved some amount of success. A personal desire to have a deeper understanding and appreciation...