Mathematical modeling of differential equations is, in some cases, complex to develop through an analytical solution. In this article a description of the variational method is presented, which is used for the qualitative study of partial differential equations: existence, uniqueness and regularity of the solution [1]. The analysis of linear second-order elliptic partial differential equations is shown as an illustration. Finally, an application of the weak formulation of the Poisson equation is shown by the finite element method.