The objective of Theory of Shells, the third book of a three-volume set, is to show how asymptotic methods provide a rigorous mathematical justification of the classical two-dimensional linear shell theories: membrane, generalized membrane, and flexural. The book also shows how asymptotic methods justify nonlinear elastic shell theories and gives a detailed presentation of the Koiter equations for a nonlinearly elastic shell. An extended preface and extensive bibliography have been added to highlight the progress that has been made since the volume’s original publication.

While each one of the three volumes is self-contained, together the Mathematical Elasticity set provides the only modern treatise on elasticity; introduces contemporary research on three-dimensional elasticity, the theory of plates, and the theory of shells; and contains proofs, detailed surveys of all mathematical prerequisites, and many problems for teaching and self-study

These classic textbooks are for advanced undergraduates, first-year graduate students, and researchers in pure or applied mathematics or continuum mechanics. They are appropriate for courses in mathematical elasticity, theory of plates and shells, continuum mechanics, computational mechanics, and applied mathematics in general.