The hydrodynamics of a body moving in a fluid at high velocities with the formation of free boundaries is studied. The general physical flow properties at the front of the body, flows with developed cavitation, planing and other situations where allowance must be made for free boundary effects and surface discontinuity are considered. The general equations of the dynamics of a thin body are solved by a formula for computing the force due to vibrations of rigid and flexible thin bodies. The results for a flexible body are used to explain the swimming mechanism of fish and sea mammals.

The Twenty-Second Symposium on Naval Hydrodynamics was held in Washington, D.C., from August 9-14, 1998. It coincided with the 100th anniversary of the David Taylor Model Basin. This international symposium was organized jointly by the Office of Naval Research (Mechanics and Energy Conversion S&T Division), the National Research Council (Naval Studies Board), and the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (David Taylor Model Basin). This biennial symposium promotes the technical exchange of naval research developments of common interest to all the countries of the world. The forum encourages both formal and informal discussion of the presented papers, and the occasion provides an opportunity for direct communication between international peers.

This book provides the first fully-fledged history of hydrodynamics, including lively accounts of the concrete problems of hydraulics, navigation, blood circulation, meteorology, and aeronautics that motivated the main conceptual innovations. Richly illustrated, technically competent, and philosophically sensitive, it should attract a broad audience and become a standard reference for any one interested in fluid mechanics.

This book presents five sets of pedagogical lectures by internationally respected researchers on nonlinear instabilities and the transition to turbulence in hydrodynamics. The book begins with a general introduction to hydrodynamics covering fluid properties, flow measurement, dimensional analysis and turbulence. Chapter two reviews the special characteristics of instabilities in open flows. Chapter three presents mathematical tools for multiscale analysis and asymptotic matching applied to the dynamics of fronts and localized nonlinear states. Chapter four gives a detailed review of pattern forming instabilities. The final chapter provides a detailed and comprehensive introduction to the instability of flames, shocks and detonations. Together, these lectures provide a thought-provoking overview of current research in this important area.