The authors are pleased to present Thermal Stresses – Advanced Theory and Applications. This book will serve a wide range of readers, in particular, gr- uate students, PhD candidates, professors, scientists, researchers in various industrial and government institutes, and engineers. Thus, the book should be considered not only as a graduate textbook, but also as a reference handbook to those working or interested in areas of Applied Mathematics, Continuum Mechanics, Stress Analysis, and Mechanical Design. In addition, the book p- vides extensive coverage of great many theoretical problems and numerous references to the literature. The ?eld of Thermal Stresses lies at the crossroads of Stress Analysis, T- ory of Elasticity, Thermodynamics, Heat Conduction Theory, and advanced methods of Applied Mathematics. Each of these areas is covered to the extend it is necessary. Therefore, the book is self-contained, so that the reader should not need to consult other sources while studying the topic. The book starts from basic concepts and principles, and these are developed to more advanced levels as the text progresses. Nevertheless, some basic preparation on the part of the reader in Classical Mechanics, Stress Analysis, and Mathematics, - cluding Vector and Cartesian Tensor Analysis is expected. While selecting material for the book, the authors made every e?ort to present both classical topics and methods, and modern, or more recent, dev- opments in the ?eld. The book comprises ten chapters.
