Meccanica 35: 583–585, 2000.

Nonlinear Interactions: Analytical, Computational,

and Experimental Methods
Ali H. Nayfeh
Wiley Series in Nonlinear Science
Wiley, New York
2000. 760 pp., ISBN: 0-471-17591-9.

Books of different nature have been devoted in the past years to the analysis of nonlinear
dynamics of single-degree-of-freedom systems. This has resulted in a fairly well-systematized
framework of methods to be used for dealing with the relevant nonlinear behaviour as well as
of classical and nonclassical phenomena which possibly characterize it. In contrast, no general
and systematic treatments are yet available as regards the analysis and the rich phenomenology
of nonlinear dynamic behaviour of finite-degrees-of-freedom (discrete) and infinite-degrees-
of-freedom (continuous or distributed-parameter) engineering systems, notwithstanding the
great deal of recent research results obtained on the characterizing topic of nonlinear modal
interaction.
Actually, nonlinear interaction phenomena are very important in several practical situ-
ations, which include, for example, modern flexible structures typically exhibiting many modes
with low natural frequencies. Because of flexibility, large-amplitude vibrations may occur, and
geometric and other nonlinearities can couple the modes and produce strong, often dangerous,
exchange of energy among them. Moreover, modal interactions are greatly enhanced when a
special relationship between the natural frequencies of two or more modes and the excitation
frequency exists, the nature of these relationships (which govern resonance phenomena) de-
pending on the degree of nonlinearity present in the system, the number of modes involved,
and the character of the excitation.
This timely book of A.H.Nayfeh, a worldwide known expert in the field, suitably fills this
gap. It is devoted to a unified illustration of the many varied phenomena which characterize
the coupled response of models of real engineering (mostly, mechanical and structural) sys-
tems. Treatment is made by referring to results obtained through analytical, computational
and experimental methods in a complementary way, and by considering generic, as well as
nongeneric, dynamical situations governing the features of system nonlinear response, or
well-identified classes of problems.
The book opens with an introductory chapter where the author reviews some notions and
terminologies of mechanics, discusses system classification, and provides an overview of
perturbation methods which are used as tools for nonlinear analysis in the later chapters.
Chapters 2, 3 and 4 are devoted to the three basic cases of internal resonance which can
occur in nonlinearly coupled oscillators, namely the 2:1, 1:1, and 3:1 internal (or autopa-
rametric) resonance, respectively. For each considered system, first the governing ODEs or
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PDEs of motion are given, then a perturbation method is used to derive a system of nonlinear
first-order ordinary-differential equations governing the modulation of the amplitudes and
phases of the interacting modes for a number of primary and parametric external resonances,
as well as for combination resonances. Common features of the equations which sometimes
hold irrespective of the physical nature of the system and/or of the source of the nonlinearity,
are pointed out. Some of the static and dynamic solutions of the modulation equations are
studied, and the bifurcational behaviours are investigated. Occurrence of quasiperiodic and
chaotic solutions is highlighted, making constant reference to results of numerical simulations
and experimental investigations, whenever available. Along a similar line, a number of cases
of combination resonances of either parametric, external or internal nature are the subject of
Chapter 5.
The remaining three chapters are devoted to more specific topics of recent research interest.
Namely, Chapter 6 is devoted to the analysis of a mechanism for the transfer of energy in
systems with widely spaced modes which is neither a classical internal resonance nor an
external or a parametric combination resonance. It is a type of interaction which may occur
between a directly excited high-frequency mode and a low-frequency mode, the latter en-
tering the response with large amplitude and being accompanied by a slow modulation of the
high-frequency mode. This mechanism has been observed experimentally in various structural
systems, and it can be of great practical importance in many engineering situations, whenever
energy from high-frequency excitations can be transferred to low-frequency modes and result
in harmful large-amplitude oscillations. It is investigated analytically in both externally and
parametrically excited systems.
Chapter 7 discusses interactions resulting from the simultaneous presence of more than one
resonance mechanism. A comprehensive list of literature references dealing with engineering
systems in conditions of multiple internal resonances is reported, and two specific systems
(one discrete and one continuous) are addressed analytically and are discussed in terms of
bifurcational behaviour.
Finally, Chapter 8 is devoted to nonlinear normal modes (an extension of the concept of
linear normal modes), a topic already developed by Rosenberg in the sixties and recently
reconsidered by several authors with the aim of constructing methods for obtaining them in
the perspective of recent achievements and, mostly, of geometrical concepts of the dynamical
systems theory. Various methods are addressed and compared with each other for a number of
discrete and continuous systems exhibiting various kinds of nonlinearities, also in the presence
of internal resonance.
The book is actually a mine of information and results on nonlinear interaction phenomena
occurring in different engineering systems. A large amount of recent and varied research
material from the author’s scientific group is reported, as well as meaningful material from
the recent related literature. Wide and deep account of the historical achievements on vari-
ous aspects of nonlinear interaction is also given, with the support of an extremely vast, but
pertinent, bibliography.
Of course, organizing such a huge amount and variety of material according to a unifying
perspective is actually a very difficult task. Consistent with his characteristic approach, already
successfully followed by the author in previous books which have become basic reference
texts in the field (above all, Nonlinear Oscillations, coauthored with D.T. Mook in 1979),
the layout chosen herein consists in illustrating and discussing the richness and variety of
nonlinear phenomena – as well as the theory behind them – essentially through a series
of case histories. Nevertheless, the author has made a great effort towards accomplishing a
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unified treatment, and there are no doubt about the value and the effectiveness of the outcome.
This has been obtained by a worthy blend of the remarkable author’s expertise on classical
perturbation methods and nonlinear oscillations theory – revisited through modern symbolic
algebra – with knowledge and tools from modern dynamical systems theory and with results
from experimental investigations. The overall achieved outcome seems to be more ‘in the
genuine author’s attitude of mind’ than some others of his recent books.
In conclusion, it is fairly easy to predict for the book, and wish it, just the same kind
of worldwide success got, among others, by the 1979’s book, which the present one is in
some sense the updated continuation of. As such, the book is an essential text/reference which
should be reserved a privileged place on the shelf of all advanced students, graduates and
researchers working in the field of nonlinear dynamics of mechanical and structural systems.

Giuseppe Rega