ANALYSIS OF LINEAR NONCONSERVATIVE VIBRATIONS

The coefficients of a linear nonconservative system are arbitrary matr ices lacking the usual properties of symmetry and definiteness. Classi cal modal analysis is extended in this paper so as to apply to systems with nonsymmetric coefficients. The extension utilizes equivalence tr ansformations and does not require conversion of the the equations of motion to first-order forms. Compared with the state-space approach, t he generalized modal analysis can offer substantial reduction in compu tational effort and ample physical insight.