Michell Structures : Springer : 9783030069889 : 3030069885 : 28 Dec 2018 : The book covers the theory of Michell structures being the lightest and fully stressed systems of bars, designed within a given domain, possibly within the whole space, transmitting a given load towards a given support. Discovered already in 1904 by A.G.M. Michell, the structures named after him have attracted constant attention due to their peculiar feature of disclosing the optimal streams of stresses equilibrating a given load and thus determining the optimal layout of bars. The optimal layouts emerge from among all possible structural topologies, thus constituting unique designs being simultaneously light and stiff. The optimal structures turn out to be embedded in optimal vector fields covering the whole feasible domain.  Key features include: a variationally consistent theory of bar systems, thin plates in bending and membrane shells; recapitulation of the theory of optimum design of trusses of minimum we