The idea for this book was developed in the seminar on problems of con- tinuum mechanics, which has been active for more than twelve years at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Prague. This seminar has been pursuing recent directions in the development of mathe- matical applications in physics; especially in continuum mechanics, and in technology. It has regularly been attended by upper division and graduate students, faculty, and scientists and researchers from various institutions from Prague and elsewhere. These seminar participants decided to publish in a...