Engineering Dynamics (Synthesis Lectures on Mechanical Engineering)

Engineering Dynamics is an introductory textbook covering the kinematics and dynamics of particles, systems of particles, and kinematics and dynamics of rigid bodies. It has been developed from lecture notes given by the author since 1982. It includes sufficient topics normally covered in a single-semester three credit hour course taken by sophomores in an undergraduate degree program majoring in various engineering disciplines.

The primary focus of the book is on kinematics and dynamics of particles, kinematics and dynamics of systems of particles, and kinematics and dynamics of rigid bodies in two- and three-dimensional spaces. It aims at providing a short book, relative to many available in literature, but with detailed solutions to representative examples. Exercise questions are included.

Dr. To obtained his doctoral degree in sound and vibration studies from the University of Southampton in April 1980. He is currently a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and a professor emeritus in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at the University of Nebraska (UNL). Prior to joining UNL he was a professor (1994-96) and an associate professor (1986-94) at the University of Western Ontario, Canada. He was an associate professor (1985-86) and an assistant professor (1982-85) at the University of Calgary. Between 1982 and 1992 he was a University Research Fellow of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Canada. He served as chair of the ASME Finite Element Techniques and Computational Technologies Technical Committee. In addition to being a member of the editorial boards for several refereed international journals, Dr. To currently serves as an associate editor of the International Journal of Mechanics.

His main academic interests are in nonlinear stochastic structural dynamics, nonlinear finite element analysis with particular reference to laminated composite plates and shells, nonlinear dynamics and control, machinery noise and vibration diagnostics, and mechanics of carbon nano-tubes. He is the author of Introduction to Kinematics and Dynamics of Machinery (2018, Morgan & Claypool Publishers), Introduction to Dynamics and Control in Mechanical Engineering Systems (2016, ASME and Wiley), Stochastic Structural Dynamics: Application of Finite Element Methods (2014, Wiley), Nonlinear Random Vibration: Analytical Techniques and Applications (Second Edition, 2012, Taylor and Francis/CRC Press), and Nonlinear Random Vibration: Computational Methods (2010, Zip Publishing, Columbus, Ohio).