Contact mechanics (Q5915683)

This book presents clearly the most thorough documentation to date on the age-old interdisciplinary problem of contact mechanics. It appears as Volume 250 of the book series Solid Mechanics and Its Applications. The series' intent is to enable the readers to answer the questions: ``Why, How, and How much'' (from the series' description). A thorough contact analysis can include all aspects of solid mechanics as well as the fundamentals of fluid mechanics and the thermal sciences. Heinrich Hertz was the first to write about contact mechanics in a paper published in 1882 [\textit{H. Hertz}, J. Reine Angew. Math. 92, 156--171 (1882; JFM 14.0807.01)]. Consequently, his name is often used as a descriptor of stresses arising from contacting bodies. In the subject volume under review, the author emphasizes the overall behavior of contacting bodies -- as opposed to internal stress and strain details. His analyses are further restricted to linearly elastic bodies. In spite of these analytical constraints, the book spans 585 pages, including 20 chapters, four appendices, and over 380 references -- 32 of which are to the author's own writings. The author provides problems at the end of each chapter. The problems make the book suitable as an advanced mechanics text on contact phenomena. The book has an intensive mathematical style, so the reader should have some knowledge of advanced applied mathematics. Alternatively, the book could be used as a text for topics in advanced engineering mathematics. Even with these somewhat restricted objectives, the book covers many topics, including two- and three-dimensional contact, smooth (frictionless) and rough (with friction) contact, conformed and counterformed contact, symmetric and asymmetric contact, normal and tangential loading, rolling and sliding contact, dynamic contact, thermal effects, and impact. The theme is toward analysis rather than design. Consequently, issues such as fatigue, fracture, and failure are not discussed. Readers will welcome the lucid style and the helpful discussion of topics when they arise. In this reviewer's opinion, the book will probably be of greatest interest to second year graduate students, especially those seeking theses and dissertation topics. The book undoubtedly stimulates additional reading, studying, and research. Hard copy purchase by libraries is recommended.