Problems in Rectangular Coördinates

Abstract

The Cartesian coördinate system (x, y) is clearly particularly suited to the problem of determining the stresses in a rectangular body whose boundaries are defined by equations of the form x = a, y = b. A wide range of such problems can be treated using stress functions which are polynomials in x, y. In particular, polynomial solutions can be obtained for ‘Mechanics of Materials’ type beam problems in which a rectangular bar is bent by an end load or by a distributed load on one or both faces.