NETWORK THEORY.

Abstract

The theory of networks of inextensible fibers was formulated by Rivlin as a theory of materials like fish-nets, which have small resistance to distortion but high resistance to stretching. The theory is a continuum theory, in which individual cords or fibers are not recognized. The high resistance to stretching is idealized by treating the cords in the network as absolutely inextensible, and the low resistance to distortions is idealized by taking the shear modulus of the material to be zero. The author outlines an extended version of Rivlin's theory, in which fibers can grow shorter but not longer, and can carry tensile but not compressive loads.