Selected Topics in Nonlinear Wave Mechanics : Birkhauser : 9780817640590 : 0817640592 : 01 Nov 2001 : This book gives an overview ofthe current state of nonlinear wave mechanics with emphasis on strong discontinuities (shock waves) and localized self­ preserving shapes (solitons) in both elastic and fluid media. The exposition is intentionallyat a detailed mathematical and physical level, our expectation being that the reader will enjoy coming to grips in a concrete manner with advances in this fascinating subject. Historically, modern research in nonlinear wave mechanics began with the famous 1858 piston problem paper of Riemann on shock waves and con­ tinued into the early part of the last century with the work of Hadamard, Rankine, and Hugoniot. After WWII, research into nonlinear propagation of dispersive waves rapidly accelerated with the advent of computers. Works of particular importance in the immediate post-war years include those of von Neumann, Fermi, and Lax. Later, additio