No label defined (Q4510192)

Leaving the classical concepts of Kirchhoff's plate theory, the authors investigate a more advanced model accounting for transverse shear deformation, which leads to more complicated governing equations and boundary conditions. The corresponding mathematical analysis is carried out in seven chapters, and the background material on Sobolev spaces is presented in an appendix. Chapter 1 makes the reader familiar with equilibrium equations for plates, gives an appropriate formulation of boundary value problems, and introduces plate potentials and boundary integral equations. Chapter 2 presents a variational form of Dirichlet and Neumann problems, and establishes the solvability of interior and exterior problems. Chapter 3 studies the boundary integral equations for Dirichlet and Neumann problems making use of the plate potentials. Transmission boundary value problems are the subject of chapter 4 (for example, here the authors discuss multiply connected finite plates and finite plates with an inclusion). The subject of chapter 5 is the model for a plate weakened by a crack: with the help of suitable single and double layer potentials, the authors prove the solvability of the corresponding mathematical problem. Chapter 6 contains a collection of other types of boundary conditions relevant to the plate theory, including as particular case elastic boundary conditions. Finally, chapter 7 gives insight into the analysis of plates on a generalized elastic foundation. The monograph is written with great care and can be of interest to anyone who wants to get a deeper mathematical understanding of the modern plate theory.