Elasticity theory is a classical discipline. The mathematical theory of elasticity in mechanics, especially the linearized theory, is quite mature, and is one of the foundations of several engineering sciences. In the last twenty years, there has been significant progress in several areas closely related to this classical field, this applies in particular to the following two areas. First, progress has been made in numerical methods, especially the development of the finite element method. The finite element method, which was independently created and developed in different ways by sci entists both in China and in the West, is a kind of systematic and modern numerical method for solving partial differential equations, especially el liptic equations. Experience has shown that the finite element method is efficient enough to solve problems in an extremely wide range of applica tions of elastic mechanics. In particular, the finite element method is very suitable for highly complicated problems. One of the authors (Feng) of this book had the good fortune to participate in the work of creating and establishing the theoretical basis of the finite element method. He thought in the early sixties that the method could be used to solve computational problems of solid mechanics by computers. Later practice justified and still continues to justify this point of view. The authors believe that it is now time to include the finite element method as an important part of the content of a textbook of modern elastic mechanics.

During the seventeenth century, several useful theories of elastic structures emerged, with applications to civil and mechanical engineering problems. Recent and improved mathematical tools have extended applications into new areas such as mathematical physics, geomechanics, and biomechanics. This book offers a critically filtered collection of the most significant theories dealing with elastic slender bodies. It includes mathematical models involving elastic structures that are used to solve practical problems with particular emphasis on nonlinear problems.

Theory of Stability of Continuous Elastic Structures presents an applied mathematical treatment of the stability of civil engineering structures. The book's modern and rigorous approach makes it especially useful as a text in advanced engineering courses and an invaluable reference for engineers.

The Mathematical Elasticity set contains three self-contained volumes that together provide the only modern treatise on elasticity. They introduce contemporary research on three-dimensional elasticity, the theory of plates, and the theory of shells. Each volume contains proofs, detailed surveys of all mathematical prerequisites, and many problems for teaching and self-study. An extended preface and extensive bibliography have been added to each volume to highlight the progress that has been made since the original publication. The first book, Three-Dimensional Elasticity, covers the modeling and mathematical analysis of nonlinear three-dimensional elasticity. In volume two, Theory of Plates, asymptotic methods provide a rigorous mathematical justification of the classical two-dimensional linear plate and shallow shell theories. The objective of Theory of Shells, the final volume, is to show how asymptotic methods provide a rigorous mathematical justification of the classical two-dimensional linear shell theories: membrane, generalized membrane, and flexural. These classic textbooks are for advanced undergraduates, first-year graduate students, and researchers in pure or applied mathematics or continuum mechanics. They are appropriate for courses in mathematical elasticity, theory of plates and shells, continuum mechanics, computational mechanics, and applied mathematics in general.

This book provides the general reader with an introduction to mathematical elasticity, by means of general concepts in classic mechanics, and models for elastic springs, strings, rods, beams and membranes. Functional analysis is also used to explore more general boundary value problems for three-dimensional elastic bodies, where the reader is provided, for each problem considered, a description of the deformation; the equilibrium in terms of stresses; the constitutive equation; the equilibrium equation in terms of displacements; formulation of boundary value problems; and variational principles, generalized solutions and conditions for solvability.Introduction to Mathematical Elasticity will also be of essential reference to engineers specializing in elasticity, and to mathematicians working on abstract formulations of the related boundary value problems.

In order to select an optimal structure among possible similar structures, one needs to compare the elastic behavior of the structures. A new criterion that describes elastic behavior is the rate of change of deformation. Using this criterion, the safe dimensions of a structure that are required by the stress distributed in a structure can be calculated. The new non-linear theory of elasticity allows one to determine the actual individual limit of elasticity/failure of a structure using a simple non-destructive method of measurement of deformation on the model of a structure while presently it can be done only with a destructive test for each structure. For building and explaining the theory, a new logical structure was introduced as the basis of the theory. One of the important physical implications of this logic is that it describes mathematically the universal domain of the possible stable physical relations.