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Host: Mathematical Sciences Research Institute
Organizers: D. N. Arnold (Penn State), I. Babuska (Austin), F. Brezzi (Pavia), P. Ciarlet (Paris), J. Pitkaranta (Helsinki).
Description:
Elastic shells are thin curved solid bodies which resist deformation owing to both the material of which they are
composed and to their shape. They are extremely important in structural mechanics and engineering because a
well-designed shell can sustain large loads with remarkably little material. For this reason, shells are a favored structural
element in both natural and man-made constructions. The way a shell responds to external and internal forces and
displacements is determined by a complex coupling of the mechanical properties of the material and the shell's
geometry. Beginning in the late nineteenth century, and especially during the past few decades, there have been intense
efforts to derive an accurate mathematical theory of shells. Such a theory is essential to the accurate prediction of shell
behavior and to the design of shells optimally suited to an application.
Date received: October 12, 1998
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