Fractional Derivative Modeling in Mechanics and Engineering

This textbook highlights the theory of fractional calculus and its wide applications in mechanics and engineering. It describes in details the research findings in using fractional calculus methods for modeling and numerical simulation of complex mechanical behavior. It covers the mathematical basis of fractional calculus, the relationship between fractal and fractional calculus, unconventional statistics and anomalous diffusion, typical applications of fractional calculus, and the numerical solution of the fractional differential equation. It also includes latest findings, such as variable order derivative, distributed order derivative and its applications. Different from other textbooks in this subject, the book avoids lengthy mathematical demonstrations, and presents the theories in close connection to the applications in an easily readable manner. This textbook is intended for students, researchers and professionals in applied physics, engineering mechanics, and applied mathematics. It is also of high reference value for those in environmental mechanics, geotechnical mechanics, biomechanics, and rheology.

Dr. Wen Chen is a Distinguished Professor and former Dean of the College of Mechanics and Materials at Hohai University, China. His research covers computational mechanics, hydrodynamics, and acoustics. His research interests include RBF-based numerical simulation, anomalous diffusion, and non-local statistics of soft matter mechanics. He also serves as Associate Director of the Chinese Society of Environmental Mechanics and the TC member on Linear Control Systems of the International Federation of Automatic Control. He is former TC Chair of the sector in computational mechanics software, China Mechanics Society.

Dr. Hongguang Sun works as a Professor in the College of Mechanics and Materials, Director of Sino-US Joint Research Center of Groundwater and Environmental Fluid Mechanics, and Deputy Director of the Institute of Hydraulics and Fluid Mechanics, Hohai University, China. His main research interests include simulation and remediation of groundwater and soil pollution,sediment transport, and high-precision computational mechanics.

Dr. Xicheng Li works as an Associate Professor at the School of Mathematical Sciences, the University of Jinan, China. He has been engaged in theoretical and applied research of fractional calculus, especially fractional derivative modeling of anomalous diffusion. He is also done much exploration in modeling heat and mass transfer and solving fractional differential equations.