This volume is a thorough introduction to contemporary research in elasticity, and may be used as a working textbook at the graduate level for courses in pure or applied mathematics or in continuum mechanics. It provides a thorough description (with emphasis on the nonlinear aspects) of the two competing mathematical models of three-dimensional elasticity, together with a mathematical analysis of these models. The book is as self-contained as possible.

The first book of a three-volume set, Three-Dimensional Elasticity covers the modeling and mathematical analysis of nonlinear three-dimensional elasticity. It includes the known existence theorems, either via the implicit function theorem or via the minimization of the energy (John Ball’s theory). An extended preface and extensive bibliography have been added to highlight the progress that has been made since the volume’s original publication. While each one of the three volumes is self-contained, together the Mathematical Elasticity set provides the only modern treatise on elasticity; introduces contemporary research on three-dimensional elasticity, the theory of plates, and the theory of shells; and contains proofs, detailed surveys of all mathematical prerequisites, and many problems for teaching and self-study. 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 is intended for mechanicians, engineering mathematicians, and, generally for theoretically inclined mechanical engineers. It has its origin in my Master's Thesis (J 957), which I wrote under the supervision of Professor Dr. R. Timman of the Delft TH and Dr. Ir. A. D. de Pater of Netherlands Railways. I did not think that the surface of the problem had even been scratched, so I joined de Pater, who had by then become Professor in the Engineering Mechanics Lab. of the Delft TH, to write my Ph. D. Thesis on it. This thesis (1967) was weil received in railway circles, which is due more to de Pater's untiring promotion than to its merits. Still not satisfied, I feit that I needed more mathe matics, and I joined Professor Timman's group as an Associate Professor. This led to the present work. Many thanks are due to G. M. L. Gladwell, who thoroughly polished style and contents of the manuscript. Thanks are also due to my wife, herself an engineering mathematician, who read the manuscript through critically, and made many helpful comments, to G. F. M. Braat, who also read an criticised, and, in addition, drew the figures together with J. Schonewille, to Ms. A. V. M. de Wit, Ms. M. den Boef, and Ms. P. c. Wilting, who typed the manuscript, and to the Publishers, who waited patiently. Delft-Rotterdam, 17 July 1990. J. J.

The objective of Volume II is to show how asymptotic methods, with the thickness as the small parameter, indeed provide a powerful means of justifying two-dimensional plate theories. More specifically, without any recourse to any a priori assumptions of a geometrical or mechanical nature, it is shown that in the linear case, the three-dimensional displacements, once properly scaled, converge in H1 towards a limit that satisfies the well-known two-dimensional equations of the linear Kirchhoff-Love theory; the convergence of stress is also established. In the nonlinear case, again after ad hoc scalings have been performed, it is shown that the leading term of a formal asymptotic expansion of the three-dimensional solution satisfies well-known two-dimensional equations, such as those of the nonlinear Kirchhoff-Love theory, or the von Kármán equations. Special attention is also given to the first convergence result obtained in this case, which leads to two-dimensional large deformation, frame-indifferent, nonlinear membrane theories. It is also demonstrated that asymptotic methods can likewise be used for justifying other lower-dimensional equations of elastic shallow shells, and the coupled pluri-dimensional equations of elastic multi-structures, i.e., structures with junctions. In each case, the existence, uniqueness or multiplicity, and regularity of solutions to the limit equations obtained in this fashion are also studied.

North-Holland Series in Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, Volume 25: Three-Dimensional Problems of the Mathematical Theory of Elasticity and Thermoelasticity focuses on the theory of three-dimensional problems, including oscillation theory, boundary value problems, and integral equations. The publication first tackles basic concepts and axiomatization and basic singular solutions. Discussions focus on fundamental solutions of thermoelasticity, fundamental solutions of the couple-stress theory, strain energy and Hooke’s law in the couple-stress theory, and basic equations in terms of stress components. The manuscript then examines uniqueness theorems and singular integrals and integral equations. The book ponders on the potential theory and boundary value problems of elastic equilibrium and steady elastic oscillations. Topics include basic theorems of the oscillation theory, existence of solutions of boundary value problems, integral equations of the boundary value problems, and boundary properties of potential-type integrals. The publication also reviews mixed dynamic problems, couple-stress elasticity, and boundary value problems for media bounded by several surfaces. The text is a dependable source of data for mathematicians and readers interested in three-dimensional problems of the mathematical theory of elasticity and thermoelasticity.