AbstractThe interior stress problem is solved numerically for a single‐edge notched specimen under uniaxial load. The algorithm is based on a modification of a Fredholm second‐kind integral equation with compact operators due to Muskhelishvili. Several singular basis functions for each of the seven corners in the geometry enable high uniform resolution of the stress field with a modest number of discretization points. As a consequence, notch stress intensity factors can be computed directly from the solution. This is an improvement over other procedures where the stress field is not resolved in the corners and where notch stress intensity factors are computed in a roundabout way via a path‐independent integral. Numerical examples illustrate the superior stability and economy of the new scheme. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.