Page 12 - Thomson, William Tyrrell-Theory of Vibration with Applications-Taylor _ Francis (2010)

Preface

implies that Chapters 11 and 12 are of lesser importance. As one finds in the finite
element method, the equation of motion soon becomes large in order to obtain
acceptable accuracies for higher modes, and the methods of new Chapters 11 and
12 yield these results with considerably simpler calculations.
This book can be used at the undergraduate or graduate level of instruction.
Chapters 1 through 6 can be covered in a first course on vibration, although parts
of other chapters might be appropriately introduced.
The subject of vibration and dynamics, fascinating to the author for over
most of his academic career, offers a wide range of opportunities for applying
various mathematical techniques to the solution of vibration problems, and is
presented with the hope that the subject matter will be enjoyed by others.
Finally, the author wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness to those who have
contributed to the writing of the computer programs on disk. Of these. Dr. Grant
Johnson of the Mechanical Engineering Department has generously aided the
author for the past few years, and Derek Zahl, also of the Mechanical Engineering
Department, carefully compiled the disk that is enclosed with the text. Thanks also
are due to David Bothman and Tony Peres for the photos of some of the
equipment used in our Undergraduate Laboratory.

William T. Thomson