Mechanics And Uncertainty

Recognition of the need to introduce the ideas of uncertainty in a wide variety of scientific fields today reflects in part some of the profound changes in science and engineering over the last decades. Nobody questions the ever-present need for a solid foundation in applied mechanics. Neither does anyone question nowadays the fundamental necessity to recognize that uncertainty exists, to learn to evaluate it rationally, and to incorporate it into design.This volume provides a timely and stimulating overview of the analysis of uncertainty in applied mechanics. It is not just one more rendition of the traditional treatment of the subject, nor is it intended to supplement existing structural engineering books. Its aim is to fill a gap in the existing professional literature by concentrating on the non-probabilistic model of uncertainty. It provides an alternative avenue for the analysis of uncertainty when only a limited amount of information is available. The first chapter briefly reviews probabilistic methods and discusses the sensitivity of the probability of failure to uncertain knowledge of the system. Chapter two discusses the mathematical background of convex modelling. In the remainder of the book, convex modelling is applied to various linear and nonlinear problems. Uncertain phenomena are represented throughout the book by convex sets, and this approach is referred to as convex modelling.This book is intended to inspire researchers in their goal towards further growth and development in this field.

This open access book reports on innovative methods, technologies and strategies for mastering uncertainty in technical systems. Despite the fact that current research on uncertainty is mainly focusing on uncertainty quantification and analysis, this book gives emphasis to innovative ways to master uncertainty in engineering design, production and product usage alike. It gathers authoritative contributions by more than 30 scientists reporting on years of research in the areas of engineering, applied mathematics and law, thus offering a timely, comprehensive and multidisciplinary account of theories and methods for quantifying data, model and structural uncertainty, and of fundamental strategies for mastering uncertainty. It covers key concepts such as robustness, flexibility and resilience in detail. All the described methods, technologies and strategies have been validated with the help of three technical systems, i.e. the Modular Active Spring-Damper System, the Active Air Spring and the 3D Servo Press, which have been in turn developed and tested during more than ten years of cooperative research. Overall, this book offers a timely, practice-oriented reference guide to graduate students, researchers and professionals dealing with uncertainty in the broad field of mechanical engineering.

Science is a quest for certainty, but lack of certainty is the driving force behind all of its endeavors. This book, specifically, examines the uncertainty of technological and industrial science. Uncertainty and Mechanics studies the concepts of mechanical design in an uncertain setting and explains engineering techniques for inventing cost-effective products. Though it references practical applications, this is a book about ideas and potential advances in mechanical science.

The gripping, entertaining, and vividly-told narrative of a radical discovery that sent shockwaves through the scientific community and forever changed the way we understand the world. Werner Heisenberg’s “uncertainty principle” challenged centuries of scientific understanding, placed him in direct opposition to Albert Einstein, and put Niels Bohr in the middle of one of the most heated debates in scientific history. Heisenberg’s theorem stated that there were physical limits to what we could know about sub-atomic particles; this “uncertainty” would have shocking implications. In a riveting and lively account, David Lindley captures this critical episode and explains one of the most important scientific discoveries in history, which has since transcended the boundaries of science and influenced everything from literary theory to television.

Quantum mechanics is widely considered to be the scientific theory that is one's best choice for the fundamental and universal explanation of the physical world. The conceptual structure used in this theory varies dramatically from that of classical physics. After all, the transition from classical to quantum physics is a true revolution in people's understanding of the physical universe. One striking feature of the distinction between classical and quantum physics is that while classical mechanics assumes that precise simultaneous values can be assigned to all physical quantities, quantum mechanics, on the other hand, rejects this possibility, the classic example being the momentum and position of a particle.

This open access book reports on methods and technologies to describe, evaluate and control uncertainty in mechanical engineering applications. It brings together contributions by engineers, mathematicians and legal experts, offering a multidisciplinary perspective on the main issues affecting uncertainty throughout the complete system lifetime, which includes process and product planning, development, production and usage. The book is based on the proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Uncertainty in Mechanical Engineering (ICUME 2021), organized by the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 805 of the TU Darmstadt, and held online on June 7–8, 2021. All in all, it offers a timely resource for researchers, graduate students and practitioners in the field of mechanical engineering, production engineering and engineering optimization.

The objective of controlling uncertainty in mechanical engineering is significantly to enhance safety, reliability and economic efficiency in the development, production, use and conservation of natural resources. Volume is indexed by Thomson Reuters CPCI-S (WoS). This special collection of 19 peer-reviewed papers offers an academic and industrial perspective on the description, evaluation and control of uncertainty in: 1 Development, 2 Production and 3 Usage. This work should meet the needs of a broad readership, and motivate further investigations.