Nonlinearity and Complexity in Elastic Wave Motion

Abstract

The goal of this chapter is to provide some elementary basic ideas about nonlinear wave motion in complex elastic structures. The path consists of three steps: the basic concepts of the nonclassical generalized continua, which encompass the theory of elasticity; the meaning of complexity in the theory of elastic structures; and elastic nonlinear wave propagation. Microstructures and waves in microstructured solids are introduced to provide a meaningful example of the general scheme, whose results are of some interest in the theory and in the applications.