Elastic Stability
Teodor M. Atanacković, Ardéshir Guran · Birkhäuser Boston eBooks · 2000
In this chapter we briefly discuss the problem of determining stability of a given equilibrium configuration of an elastic body. First we review the concept of stability. We stress that a mechanical system (such as an elastic body) cannot be investigated for its stability, but only certain states of it (motion or equilibrium). Therefore, when we say that a body is stable we mean that its specific and clearly indicated equilibrium configuration is stable. The word stable is derived from Latin stabilis , to stand. Basically it refers to the property of a state of a (mechanical) system to remain unchanged, or to change only a little, when the system is subjected to perturbations. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.