In the last decade or so the theory of shells has undergone a tremendous
increase in development. Formerly a subject of interest only to a few
special- ists and for which the literature was relatively smalI, the
needs of structures for aerospace missions instigated a torrent of
papers on all facets of the theory which also found application in the
less glamorous earthbound shell struc- tures important in everyday life.
Some idea of the rapidity of the development can be gained from the fact
that a bibliography* completed in 1953 listed some 1455 books and
papers as the sum total ofthe literature on shell theory to that date.
Three years later, however, a supplementt added another 884 papers to
the list, an increase of 60 per cent in that short period of time. The
number of papers published since these listings has increased to an
extent that does not bear contemplation. Obviously no single volume
could contain all that constitutes the theory of shells and so this book
is restricted to that portion of the theory associated with small
deformations of elastic shells. Plastic deformations of shells, which is
hardly developed, and nonlinear deformations and stability, which would
require at least aseparate volume, are thus excluded. Even with this
restriction, however, the present volume represents a long overdue
compro- mise between completeness and finiteness. In making this
compromise I have undoubtedly omitted discussions of many topics and
references to many excellent papers which should have been included.