Energy Principles and Variational Methods in Applied Mechanics

The increasing use of the finite element method in engineering and applied science has shed new light on the importance of energy principles and variational methods. The number of engineering courses and research papers that make use of energy principles and variational has also grown very rapidly in recent years.

---

A systematic presentation of energy principles and variational methods
The increasing use of numerical and computational methods in engineering and applied sciences has shed new light on the importance of energy principles and variational methods. Energy Principles and Variational Methods in Applied Mechanics provides a systematic and practical introduction to the use of energy principles, traditional variational methods, and the finite element method to the solution of engineering problems involving bars, beams, torsion, plane elasticity, and plates.
Beginning with a review of the basic equations of mechanics and the concepts of work, energy, and topics from variational calculus, this book presents the virtual work and energy principles, energy methods of solid and structural mechanics, Hamilton s principle for dynamical systems, and classical variational methods of approximation. A unified approach, more general than that found in most solid mechanics books, is used to introduce the finite element method. Also discussed are applications to beams and plates.
Complete with more than 200 illustrations and tables, Energy Principles and Variational Methods in Applied Mechanics, Second Edition is a valuable book for students of aerospace, civil, mechanical, and applied mechanics; and engineers in design and analysis groups in the aircraft, automobile, and civil engineering structures, as well as shipbuilding industries.