On the classification of linearly elastic shells

The classifications of linearly elastic shells are based on the space of in extensional displacements (cf. [6], [10] and [11]) or on a comparison crite rion between the bending and membrane energy terms (see [8]). The purpose o f this Note is to give another classification, based on certain proper-ties of the loads applied to the shell. (C) Academie des Sciences/Elsevier, Par is.