An Alternative Complex Variable

Method in Plane Elasticity

BEONG IN YUN
Department of Computer Science and Statistics,
Kunsan National University, 573-701 Kunsan, Korea
Abstract
For two dimensional elasticity, we suggest a newcomplex variable method
using the Naviers displacement equation. This method gives alternative dis-
placement and stress formulae to those resulting from the Muskhelishvilis
complex function method.
1 Introduction
Functions of a complex variable were introduced into plane elastic problems in
1909 by Kolosov. The resulting developments have been described by Muskhe-
lishvili [1], Sokolnikoff [2], England [3], etc. There are two well - known funda-
mental methods, say, Westergaard method and Muskhelishvilis complex potential
method, both of which are based on the Airy stress functions.
The Westergaard method constitutes a simple versatile tool for solving a certain
class of plane elasticity problems. However, in general, this method is not available
for the domain of which boundary is not simple nor for various boundary condi-
tions. Muskhelishvili generalized the Airy stress function for the two - dimensional
elasticity by using two analytic functions, (z) and (z), say, complex potentials.
The function is related to the Airy stress function, and is an arbitrary analytic
function, which are dened in the next section.
It is known that the plane elasticity problems reduce to the solution of Naviers
displacement equations subjected to certain boundary conditions. In this paper, us-
ing these Navier equations, we present an alternative complex variable method to
65
66 BEONG IN YUN
the Muskhelishvilis complex function method. On writing the Navier equations
in complex variable notation two real valued functions, h(x
1
, x
2
) and g(x
1
, x
2
)
are introduced, which consist of the rst derivatives of the displacement compo-
nents. This results in an analytic function composed of the functions, h(x
1
, x
2
) and
g(x
1
, x
2
). Using the Hookes law and strain - displacement relationship, we obtain
the equivalent formulae of the stresses and displacements to those derived by the
Muskhelishvilis method.
2 Muskhelishvilis Complex Function Method
In this section, to compare the present method with those developed before, we
summarize the Muskhelishvilis complex function method [1].
2.1. Determination of the Displacements from the Airy Stress Function
Let the region in the plane be simply connected and let be the Airy stress
function such as

xx
=

2

y
2
,
yy
=

2

x
2
,
xy
=

2

xy
. (1)
Equilibrium equation of the stresses implies that the Airy stress function satises
the biharmonic equation, that is,

2
= 0 .
To nd the displacements u
1
and u
2
, using the Airy stress function , we con-
sider the following equations which may be derived from the equations in (1), the
Hookes law with the plane strain condition and the strain - displacement relation :
+ 2
u
1
x
=

2

y
2
, + 2
u
2
y
=

2

x
2
,

_
u
2
x
+
u
1
y
_
=

2

xy
, (2)
where =
u
1
x
+
u
2
y
. From the rst two of these equations,
2( + ) = i.e. =

2( + )
,
An Alternative Complex Variable Method in Plane Elasticity 67
so that we have
2
u
1
x
=

2

y
2


2( + )
, 2
u
2
y
=

2

x
2


2( + )
.
Introducing a function P(x, y) dened as
=

2

x
2
+

2

y
2
= P , (3)
it follows that
2
u
1
x
=

x
2
+
+ 2
2( + )
P , 2
u
2
y
=

y
2
+
+ 2
2( + )
P (4)
From (3), we note that
P =
2
= 0 ,
that is, P(x, y) is a harmonic function.
Now let Q(x, y) be a harmonic conjugate function of P(x, y) such that
f (z) = P(x, y) + i Q(x, y) (5)
is an analytic function. The function Q may be determined for a given P apart
from an arbitrary constant. Furthermore, if we take a function as
(z) = p + i q =
1
4
_
f (z) dz , (6)
then, since is analytic,

(z) =
p
x
+ i
q
x
=
1
4
(P + i Q) .
Thus
p
x
=
q
y
=
1
4
P ,
p
y
=
q
x
=
1
4
Q . (7)
Substituting P = 4
p
x
= 4
q
y
into the formulae (4), we have
2
u
1
x
=

x
2
+
2( + 2)
+
p
x
, 2
u
2
y
=

y
2
+
2( + 2)
+
q
y
.
Integration gives
2u
1
=

x
+
2( + 2)
+
p+ f
1
(y) , 2u
2
=

y
+
2( + 2)
+
q+ f
2
(x) .
68 BEONG IN YUN
Substituting these expressions into the third equation in (2) and noting that
p
y
+
q
x
= 0 ,
we have
f

1
(y) + f

2
(x) = 0 ,
and thus
f
1
(y) = c
3
y + c
1
, f
2
(x) = c
3
x + c
2
,
where c
1
, c
2
and c
3
are arbitrary constants . In this equations, f
1
and f
2
mean the
rigid body motion for the displacements.
Omitting the rigid body displacements, the following displacement formulae
are attained :
2u
1
=

x
+
2( + 2)
+
p , 2u
2
=

y
+
2( + 2)
+
q . (8)
2.2. Complex Representation of the Displacements and Stresses
Noting that = P and that, from (7),
(px + qy) = x p + y q + 2
_
p
x
+
q
y
_
= 4
p
x
= P ,
it follows that
( px qy) = 0 .
Thus the Airy stress function may be written as
(x, y) = px + qy + p
1
,
where p
1
is some harmonic function . Now, let
(z) = p
1
+ i q
1
,
where q
1
is a harmonic conjugate to p
1
. Since the region is assumed to be simply
connected, is analytic.
The Airy stress function can be rewritten by
(x, y) = Re
_
z(z) + (z)
_
, (9)
An Alternative Complex Variable Method in Plane Elasticity 69
or
2(x, y) = z(z) + z (z) + (z) + (z) . (10)
Noting that

x
=

z
+

z
and

y
= i
_

z


z
_
, it is easily found that
2

x
= (z) + z

(z) + (z) + z

(z) +

(z) +

(z) ,
2

y
= i
_
(z) + z

(z) + (z) z

(z) +

(z)

(z)
_
. (11)
To derive the formulae of the displacements and stresses, it will be more con-
venient to deal with the expression

x
+ i

y
= (z) + z

(z) +

(z) . (12)
From the equation (8) with (z) = p + i q and (12), we have
2(u
1
+ i u
2
) =
_

x
+ i

y
_
+
2( + 2)
+
(z)
= (z) z

(z)

(z) , (13)
where
=
+ 3
+
= 3 4 ,
for the plane strain condition which we have assumed when the equations (2) are
derived. In the case of the plane stress, the formula (13) is available when we
replace the Poissons ratio by

1+
, that is, = (3 )/(1 + ). Next, for the
representation of the stresses, using (1),

xx
+ i
xy
=

y
_

y
i

x
_
= i

y
_

x
+ i

y
_
=
_

z


z
__

x
+ i

y
_
.
70 BEONG IN YUN
Substitution of (12) into this equation gives

xx
+ i
xy
=

(z) +

(z) z

(z)

(z) . (14)
Similarly, since

yy
i
xy
=

x
_

x
+ i

y
_
=
_

z
+

z
__

x
+ i

y
_
,
we have

yy
i
xy
=

(z) +

(z) + z

(z) +

(z) . (15)
In addition, equations (14) and (15) result in

xx
+
yy
= 2
_

(z) +

(z)
_
= 4 Re[

(z)] (16)

xx

yy
+ 2i
xy
= 2
_
z

(z) +

(z)
_
. (17)
3 Alternative Method Using the Navier Equations
In this section we have developed a new complex variable method for the plane
elasticity, which results in the equivalent formulae of the displacements and stresses
to the Muskhelishvilis ones.
The displacement vector u = u
1
+i u
2
satises the following Navier equation :
u + ( + )div(grad u) = 0 , (18)
or
u
1
+ ( + )

x
1
_
u
1
x
1
+
u
2
x
2
_
= 0
u
2
+ ( + )

x
2
_
u
1
x
1
+
u
2
x
2
_
= 0 , (19)
where the Lam e constant , shear modulus and the constant are such as
=
E
2(1 + )
, =
2
1 2
,
An Alternative Complex Variable Method in Plane Elasticity 71
and
=
_
3 4 for plane strain condition
34
1+
for plane stress condition .
Let
u
1
x
1
+
u
2
x
2
= h(x
1
, x
2
) and
u
1
x
2

u
2
x
1
= g(x
1
, x
2
) . (20)
Then
u
1
=
h
x
1
+
g
x
2
and u
2
=
h
x
2

g
x
1
,
so that the equation (19) becomes
( + 2)
h
x
1
+
g
x
2
= 0 ,
( + 2)
h
x
2

g
x
1
= 0 . (21)
If we take a complex function
f (z) = ( + 2) h(x
1
, x
2
) i g(x
1
, x
2
) , z = x
1
+ i x
2
, (22)
then, by the relations

z
=
1
2
_

x
1
i

x
2
_
,

z
=
1
2
_

x
1
+ i

x
2
_
,
equation (21) implies that
2

z
f (z) = 0 , that is, f (z) is analytic .
Now, from the denition of f (z) in (22),
h(x
1
, x
2
) =
1
2( + 2)
_
f (z) + f (z)
_
and g(x
1
, x
2
) =
i
2
_
f (z) f (z)
_
.
(23)
If we take an analytic function (z) and set
f (z) =
4

( + 2)

(z) , (24)
72 BEONG IN YUN
for simplicity, then the equations in (23) give
h(x
1
, x
2
) = 2
_

_ _

(z) +

(z)
_
,
g(x
1
, x
2
) = 2i
_

_
_
1 + 2

_ _

(z)

(z)
_
. (25)
On the other hand, from the relation (20),
2

z
(u
1
+ i u
2
) = h(x
1
, x
2
) i g(x
1
, x
2
) ,
so that
2(u
1
+ i u
2
) =
_
h(x
1
, x
2
) i g(x
1
, x
2
) dz + R(z) , (26)
where R(z) is an arbitrary analytic function.
By substituting (25) into (26),
2(u
1
+ i u
2
)
=
1

_ _
2

_
_

(z) +

(z)
_
+ 2
_
1 + 2

_
_

(z)

(z)
_
dz + R(z)
=
1

_
(1 2)
_

(z) +

(z)
_
+ 2(1 )
_

(z)

(z)
_
dz + R(z)
=
1

_
(z) z

(z)
_
+ R(z) .
For an analytic function (z), if we take R(z) =
1

(z) then we have

2(u
1
+ i u
2
) = (z) z

(z) (z) . (27)

We identify the coordinates as x
1
= x, x
2
= y and denote the strain components
as

xx
=
u
1
x
,
yy
=
u
2
y
.
Using Hookes law and (25), for the plane strain condition, we have

xx
+
yy
=
E
(1 + )(1 2)
{
xx
+
yy
} =
_

_
{
xx
+
yy
}
=
_

_
h(x
1
, x
2
)
= 2
_

(z) +

(z)
_
. (28)
An Alternative Complex Variable Method in Plane Elasticity 73
By the Hookes law and the strain - displacement relation it follows that

xx

yy
+ 2i
xy
=
E
1 +
_
(
xx

yy
) + 2i
xy
_
= 2
__
u
1
x
1

u
2
x
2
_
+ i
_
u
1
x
2
+
u
2
x
1
__
= 4

z
(u
1
+ i u
2
) .
Substituting (27) into this equation, we have

xx

yy
+ 2i
xy
= 2
_
z

(z) +

(z)
_
. (29)
Subtraction of (29) from (28) gives

yy
i
xy
=

(z) +

(z) + z

(z) +

(z) . (30)
Addition of (29) to (30) gives

xx
+ i
xy
=

(z) +

(z) z

(z)

(z) . (31)
We can observe that, if we set (z) =

(z), the formulae (27) (31) are equiv-

alent to the Muskhelishvilis formulae in (13) and (17). It should be noted that the
present approach is simple in calculation and for explanation compared with the
usual methods.
Complex variable representation of the displacements and stresses is useful for
the analysis of the plane elasticity, in general. In fact, it has been shown in the lit-
erature that the complex variable method is available for many problems in linear
elastic fracture mechanics. Particularly, the representation in (27)-(31) or in (13)-
(17) provides principal basis on the formulation of the boundary integral equations
to solve the various crack problems in the plane. One can expect that proper varia-
tions of the formulae in (27)-(31) may result in the efcient numerical schemes for
some practical applications such as interface crack problems.
References
[1] N. I.Muskhelishvili(1977), Some basic problems of the mathematical theory of elasticity,
4 th edition, Noordhoff international Publ., Netherlands.
74 BEONG IN YUN
[2] I. S. Sokolnikoff(1956), Mathematical theory of elasticity McGraw- Hill, New York, 1956.
[3] A. H.England(1971), Complex variable methods in elasticity, Wiley - Interscience, U. K.,
1971.