Most textbooks in mechanics of materials and components of machine describe numerous methods for
determining shaft (beam) deflections. The examples are quite varied, but most are not interrelated with follow-up
examples in which the same problem is attacked using different methods. Further, most examples are worked out by
hand and do not emphasize numerical methods used in common practice. Here, the deflection of a stepped shaft in
bending was solved using the following methods: closed-form successive integration of the bending moment
equations, Castigliano’s second theorem, numerical successive integration using the trapezoid rule, finite element
method, and estimation by beam table superposition. Computational tools, such as MATLAB, Excel, and Maple
were used in the solution process. The advantages and disadvantages of the methods used are discussed as well as
observations from use of the example.