Waves occur widely in nature and have innumerable commercial uses. Waves are responsible for the sound of speech, meteors igniting the atmosphere, radio and television broadcasting, medical diagnosis using ultrasound. This book provides a thorough, modern introduction to the study of linear and nonlinear waves. Beginning with fundamental concepts of motion, the book goes on to discuss linear and nonlinear mechanical waves, thermodynamics, and constitutive models for a variety of gases, liquids, and solids. Among the important areas of research and application are impact analysis, shock wave research, explosive detonation, nonlinear acoustics, and hypersonic aerodynamics. Students at an advanced undergraduate/graduate level will find this text a clear and comprehensive introduction to the study of nonlinear wave phenomena, and it will also be valuable as a professional reference in engineering and applied physics.

This revised and updated edition expands on its explanations of methods used to analyze waves in solid materials, such as the waves created by earthquakes and the ultrasonic waves used to detect flaws in materials and for medical diagnoses. In addition to the traditional methods used to analyze steady-state and transient waves in elastic materials, the book contains introductions to advanced areas that no other single text covers. These topics include the use of finite elements to solve wave problems, the Cagniard-de Hoop method, the four-pole technique for analyzing waves in layered media, and the growth and decay of shock and acceleration waves. The authors explain the theory of linear elasticity through the displacement equations of motion, methods used to analyze steady-state and transient waves in layered media, and include an appendix on functions of a complex variable. Originally developed for a graduate course for which no suitable text existed, the new edition retains its classroom-tested treatment of the theories of linear elasticity and complex variables for students needing background in those subjects.