
Nonlinear Elasticity 
453 
for the 
A, 
which minimises 
(77). 
Note, however, that 
in 
general there 
may  be  more  than  one 
A, 
satisfying  (78).  Points 
in 
A-space where 
(78) 
holds  are given by 
det(A') 
= 
0, 
(79) 
where  we  are regarding 
d1 
as 
a 
linear mapping 
on 
the vector space 
of  second-order  tensors 
A. 
Equation 
(79) 
describes 
a 
hypersurface 
in A-space and can  be regarded  as the stability limit  or  bifurcation 
surface since, on this surface, 
S, 
A'A, 
= 
0. 
(80) 
Following the terminology of  Hill 
[8,9] 
we 
refer to 
A, 
as 
an 
eigenmode 
(an eigenvector  of 
A' 
associated  with  zero eigenvalue) and  the sur- 
face 
as 
an 
eigensurface. 
Bifurcation  occurs since, to the first  order 
in 
A, 
A 
and 
A' 
= 
A 
+ 
A 
correspond  to tlie  same state 
of 
stress 
S. 
In 
Figure 
1 
we  depict the stable region of  A-space bounded  by  surfaces 
on which 
(79) 
holds  together  with 
a 
path of  deformation emanating 
from 
A 
= 
I 
and terminating at 
a 
point 
on 
such 
a 
surface. 
Clearly,  in the dead-load  traction  problem, 
local 
bifiircation 
oc- 
curs where 
A' 
is 
singular. 
Since, in 
(77), 
equality holds for 
A 
= 
A, 
the stability  criterion 
(76) 
is inappropriate to determine the stabil- 
ity  status of  points  on  the eigensurface.  Referring  to 
(75) 
we  see 
that stability  is  determined  by  the sign of  the integrmd for 
A 
= 
A,, 
and  that this is  dependent  on  third-  and  liigher-order terms 
in 
A,; 
we  do not  pursue  the details  here. 
Glohnlly, 
different  branches  of 
the solution  of  the dead-load  problem  can  be found by  inverting the 
stress-deformation relation 
(21) 
for an unconstrained material or 
(22) 
for  an incompressible material.  Before examining  this inversion we 
consider the singularities of 
A' 
for an isotropic elastic material. 
For  an isotropic elastic material  the components  of 
A' 
referred 
to the principal axes 
u(;) 
and 
di) 
are given  by