Michael J. Brennan

VIRTUAL EXPERIMENTS in MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS The first book of its kind to explain fundamental concepts in both vibrations and signal processing using MATLAB virtual experiments Students and young engineers with a strong grounding in engineering theory often lack the practical skills and knowledge required to carry out experimental work in the laboratory. Fundamental and time-consuming errors can be avoided with the appropriate training and a solid understanding of basic concepts in vibrations and/or signal processing, which are critical to testing new designs. Virtual Experiments in Mechanical Vibrations: Structural Dynamics and Signal Processing is designed for readers with limited knowledge of vibrations and signal processing. The intention is to help them relate vibration theory to measurements carried out in the laboratory. With a hands-on approach that emphasizes physics rather than mathematics, this practical resource explains fundamental concepts in vibrations and signal processing. It uses the concept of a virtual experiment together with MATLAB to show how the dynamic properties of vibration isolators can be determined, how vibration absorbers can be designed, and how they perform on distributed parameter structures. Readers will find that this text: Allows the concepts of experimental work to be discussed and simulated in the classroom using a physics-based approachPresents computational virtual experiments using MATLAB examples to determine the dynamic behaviour of several common dynamic systemsExplains the rationale of virtual experimentation and describes typical vibration testing setupsIntroduces the signal processing tools needed to determine the frequency response of a system from input and output dataIncludes access to a companion website containing MATLAB code Virtual Experiments in Mechanical Vibrations: Structural Dynamics and Signal Processing is a must-have resource for researchers, mechanical engineers, and advanced undergraduate and graduate students who are new to the subjects of vibrations, signal processing, and vibration testing. It is also an invaluable tool for universities where the possibilities of doing experimental work are limited.

The Duffing Equation: Nonlinear Oscillators and their Behaviour brings together the results of a wealth of disseminated research literature on the Duffing equation, a key engineering model with a vast number of applications in science and engineering, summarizing the findings of this research. Each chapter is written by an expert contributor in the field of nonlinear dynamics and addresses a different form of the equation, relating it to various oscillatory problems and clearly linking the problem with the mathematics that describe it. The editors and the contributors explain the mathematical techniques required to study nonlinear dynamics, helping the reader with little mathematical background to understand the text. The Duffing Equation provides a reference text for postgraduate and students and researchers of mechanical engineering and vibration / nonlinear dynamics as well as a useful tool for practising mechanical engineers. Includes a chapter devoted to historical background on Georg Duffing and the equation that was named after him.Includes a chapter solely devoted to practical examples of systems whose dynamic behaviour is described by the Duffing equation.Contains a comprehensive treatment of the various forms of the Duffing equation.Uses experimental, analytical and numerical methods as well as concepts of nonlinear dynamics to treat the physical systems in a unified way.

This outstanding collection of Michael Brennan's writing spans almost thirty years and reflects the rapid development and growing importance of the field of finance over this period.The papers cover corporate finance, option pricing and derivative markets, international finance and the role of information in financial markets. The chapters on corporate finance include Brennan's seminal 1970 paper on the effects of personal taxation on financial market equilibrium, an analysis of consistency in utility rate regulation and the classic piece on the application of options analysis to natural resource investments. The chapters on option pricing range from the earliest analysis of the American put option to a synthesis of methods of valuing derivatives, portfolio insurance and the effect of derivatives on trading volume and welfare. More recent papers include empirical asset pricing studies and an innovative proposal to strip the dividends from the S&P500 portfolio.Michael Brennan has been at the forefront of recent developments in financial economics and financial management and this collection of his work will be warmly welcomed by those working in finance, monetary economics, banking and financial sector research.