The use of two dimensional finite element electromagnetic models to simulate the electrical characteristic of both scattering and guided wave structures has become commonplace due to the development of powerful and cheap computers. Unfortunately, many geometries cannot be accurately modeled in two dimensions. The step from two the three dimensions is both computationally expensive and analytically complex. A traditional finite element formulation results in spurious solutions in three dimensions. In addition, the vector nature of the fields makes the task of grid truncation very difficult. The "bymoment" method has shown itself to be an efficient technique for grid truncation in a two dimensional finite element solution. It is believed that many of its advantages can be translated to three dimensions. In this project the "bymoment" method will be extended to solve the problem of electromagnetic scattering from three dimensional complex objects. The development of such a technique will provide solutions for many problems which are currently solved by approximate techniques. In addition, the development of a three dimensional scheme can lead to applications for guided wave structures.
