ABSTRACT
The response of physical objects to dynamic or time-varying loads is an important area of study in physics and engineering. The physical object whose response is sought may either be treated as rigid-body or considered to be deformable. The subject of rigid body dynamics treats the physical objects as rigid bodies that undergo motion without deformation when subjected to dynamic loading. The study of rigid-body motion has many applications, including, for example, the movement of machinery, the flight of an aircraft or a space vehicle, and the motion of earth and the planets. In many instances, however, dynamic response involving deformations rather than simple rigid-body motion is of primary concern. This is particularly so in the design of structures and structural frames that support manufactured objects. Structural frames form a part of a wide variety of physical objects created by human beings: for example, automobiles, ships, aircraft, space vehicles, offshore platforms, buildings, and bridges. All of these objects, and hence the structure supporting them, are subjected to dynamic disturbances during their service life.
