Dear All,

the solution of an elastic half space subjected to any generalized load may be seen as the solution of another elastic problem, that is elastic space with an infinite length hole when the hole radius goes to infinite.

Is there a "general" solution for that elastic problem? For general I mean a solution that can be used e.g. like a kernel in a convolution operation.

I've expanded the Navier equation in cylindrical coordinate (radial, theta, z), with a Fourier approach; assigning periodicity to theta variable and the "square summability" along the z-direction, the problem is reduced to the r-direction.

I found it's hard to get copies of some old but classic works. Those classic works usually represent the most important findings in corresponding fields. Though thousands of new articles are published every year with easy online access, more than 90% of them will not be touched by anybody after 10 years. It's a pitty to see, however, there's no easy access to most classic old works in almost every fields.

As a specilized academic community, it will be nice if we can create a database of classic works for each sub-division of mechanics and make them available for all members. For instance, I can contribute some old papers I accumulated for fracture mechanics, which could be useful for someone else.

Koiter's PhD thesis, dated 1945, gave the birth of post-buckling analysis, and quantified the notion of imperfection sensitivity.  He wrote the thesis in Dutch.  An excellent English translation is free online.  (Direct URL:  http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/DigitalCollection/1970/AFFDLTR70-025.pdf)

Modern Classical Physics Through the Work of G. I. Taylor

There seems to be tremendous enthusiasm among young mechanicians to master thermodynamics. I have found no better source for enlightenment than Gibbs's own writings on the subject, collected in a paperback, still in print. By common consensus, his masterpiece on the subject is the 300-page paper entitled "On the Equilibrium of Heterogeneous Substances". Although I have returned to the long paper many times for illumination, my own favorites are his two shorter papers, written in 1873, before the long one. In many ways, I think, the longer paper is an elaboration of the ideas in the two shorter ones. The title of the short papers are

I posted this survey in Applied Mechanics Research and Researchers on 16 April 2006, based on a survey of Web of Science. A paper making the list satisfied the following conditions:

• It is in the areas of solid mechanics, mechanics of materials, or computational mechanics, and
• It has at least 1000 citations.

This list may not be complete. If anyone finds a missing entry, please leave a comment below.

The cited number has been updated up to 18 Dec. 2006.

Eshelby and the inclusion/inhomogeneity problems

Any materials scientist interested in mechanical behaviour would be aware of the contributions of J.D. Eshelby. With 56 papers, Eshelby revolutionised our understanding of the theory of materials. The problem that I wish to discuss in this page is the elastic stress and strain fields due to an ellipsoidal inclusion/inhomogeneity - a problem that was solved by Eshelby using an elegant thought experiment.

In two papers published in the Proceedings of Royal Society (A) in 1957 and 1959 (Volume 241, p. 376 and Volume 252, p. 561) Eshelby solved the following problem ("with the help of a simple set of imaginary cutting, straining and welding operations"): In his own words,

I have not read the above-mentioned paper, as I have never been able to find it. However it is said to be "a brilliantly insightful paper which was to lay the foundations of modern elasticity." However, I believe it is also noteworthy for being one of the major contributions by a female mechanician prior to the modern era. For a great biography of Sophie Germain, including a fantastic quote from a letter from Carl Gauss on discovering that she was female--and not "Monsieur Le Blanc"--visit this site (from which the above quote, on the impact of her paper, came).

There are no female mechanicians listed on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanicians but I believe it could be argued that Germain deserves a mention!

Several people have suggested that iMechanicians compile a set of classics in mechanics. Given the mission of iMechanica (to use the Internet to enhance communications among mechanicians, and to pave a way to evolve all knowledge of mechanics online), it seems fitting for us to facilitate the communication with mechanicians of all times, and to embrace publications of all times.

I'm adding "classics" as a tag featured at the top of iMechanica. You will have to interpret for yourself what you consider to be a classic. For me, a classic should have stood the test of time (say greater than 20 years) and have influenced me deeply and directly. I should have read it and used it in my own work.

M.A. Biot, General theory of three-dimensional consolidation, Journal of Applied Physics 12, 155-164 (1941).