Analytical Solutions

Due to their simplified physical assumptions and geometry, analytical solutions normally do not directly solve “real-world” problems. Nevertheless, they serve a number of important purposes. First, they are useful as instructional tools. For a hydrogeologist investigating saltwater intrusion it is imperative that he attains a clear understanding of the mechanical trend of the flow. Elegant analytical solutions are most useful in presenting such fundamental insights, while numerical solutions are often not. In fact, a person without such physical insights should not be entrusted with a powerful numerical tool to solve complicated problems, as such a person can have blind spots that harbor catastrophic consequences.