This book is based on an undergraduate course taught at the IAS/Park City Mathematics Institute (Utah) on linear and nonlinear waves. The first part of the text overviews the concept of a wave, describes one-dimensional waves using functions of two variables, provides an introduction to partial differential equations, and discusses computer-aided visualization techniques. The second part of the book discusses traveling waves, leading to a description of solitary waves and soliton solutions of the Klein-Gordon and Korteweg-deVries equations. The wave equation is derived to model the small vibrations of a taut string, and solutions are constructed via d'Alembert's formula and Fourier series.The last part of the book discusses waves arising from conservation laws. After deriving and discussing the scalar conservation law, its solution is described using the method of characteristics, leading to the formation of shock and rarefaction waves. Applications of these concepts are then given for models of traffic flow. The intent of this book is to create a text suitable for independent study by undergraduate students in mathematics, engineering, and science. The content of the book is meant to be self-contained, requiring no special reference material. Access to computer software such as MathematicaR, MATLABR, or MapleR is recommended, but not necessary. Scripts for MATLAB applications will be available via the Web. Exercises are given within the text to allow further practice with selected topics.

This text considers classical and modern problems in linear and non-linear water-wave theory.

Nonlinear physics is a well-established discipline in physics today, and this book offers a comprehensive account of the basic soliton theory and its applications. Although primarily mathematical, the theory for nonlinear phenomena in practical environment

This book by the late R D Mindlin is destined to become a classic introduction to the mathematical aspects of two-dimensional theories of elastic plates. It systematically derives the two-dimensional theories of anisotropic elastic plates from the variational formulation of the three-dimensional theory of elasticity by power series expansions. The uniqueness of two-dimensional problems is also examined from the variational viewpoint. The accuracy of the two-dimensional equations is judged by comparing the dispersion relations of the waves that the two-dimensional theories can describe with prediction from the three-dimensional theory. Discussing mainly high-frequency dynamic problems, it is also useful in traditional applications in structural engineering as well as provides the theoretical foundation for acoustic wave devices. Sample Chapter(s). Chapter 1: Elements of the Linear Theory of Elasticity (416 KB). Contents: Elements of the Linear Theory of Elasticity; Solutions of the Three-Dimensional Equations; Infinite Power Series of Two-Dimensional Equations; Zero-Order Approximation; First-Order Approximation; Intermediate Approximations. Readership: Researchers in mechanics, civil and mechanical engineering and applied mathematics.

First published in 1957, this is a classic monograph in the area of applied mathematics. It offers a connected account of the mathematical theory of wave motion in a liquid with a free surface and subjected to gravitational and other forces, together with applications to a wide variety of concrete physical problems. A never-surpassed text, it remains of permanent value to a wide range of scientists and engineers concerned with problems in fluid mechanics. The four-part treatment begins with a presentation of the derivation of the basic hydrodynamic theory for non-viscous incompressible fluids and a description of the two principal approximate theories that form the basis for the rest of the book. The second section centers on the approximate theory that results from small-amplitude wave motions. A consideration of problems involving waves in shallow water follows, and the text concludes with a selection of problems solved in terms of the exact theory. Despite the diversity of its topics, this text offers a unified, readable, and largely self-contained treatment.

This monograph provides a comprehensive and self-contained study on the theory of water waves equations, a research area that has been very active in recent years. The vast literature devoted to the study of water waves offers numerous asymptotic models.

This book is a self-contained introduction to the theory of periodic, progressive, permanent waves on the surface of incompressible inviscid fluid. The problem of permanent water-waves has attracted a large number of physicists and mathematicians since Stokes' pioneering papers appeared in 1847 and 1880. Among many aspects of the problem, the authors focus on periodic progressive waves, which mean waves traveling at a constant speed with no change of shape. As a consequence, everything about standing waves are excluded and solitary waves are studied only partly. However, even for this restricted problem, quite a number of papers and books, in physics and mathematics, have appeared and more will continue to appear, showing the richness of the subject. In fact, there remain many open questions to be answered.The present book consists of two parts: numerical experiments and normal form analysis of the bifurcation equations. Prerequisite for reading it is an elementary knowledge of the Euler equations for incompressible inviscid fluid and of bifurcation theory. Readers are also expected to know functional analysis at an elementary level. Numerical experiments are reported so that any reader can re-examine the results with minimal labor: the methods used in this book are well-known and are described as clearly as possible. Thus, the reader with an elementary knowledge of numerical computation will have little difficulty in the re-examination.

This volume contains 16 classic essays from the 17th to the 21st centuries on aspects of elastic wave theory.

Balancing concise mathematical analysis with real-world examples and practical applications, to provide a clear and approachable introduction to wave phenomena.