ASYMPTOTIC NUMERICAL-METHODS AND PADE APPROXIMANTS FOR NONLINEAR ELASTIC STRUCTURES

In this paper, we apply asymptotic-numerical methods for computing non -linear equilibrium paths of elastic beam, plate and shell structures. The non-linear branches are sought in the form of asymptotic expansio ns, and they are determined by solving numerically (FEM) several linea r problems with a single stiffness matrix. A large number of terms of the series can be easily computed by using recurrence formulas. In com parison with a more classical step-by-step procedure, the method is ra pid and automatic. We show, with some examples, that the choice of the expansion's parameter and the use of Pade approximants play an import ant role in the determination of the size of the domain of convergence .