Waves occur widely in nature and have innumerable commercial uses. Waves are responsible for the sound of speech, meteors igniting the atmosphere, radio and television broadcasting, medical diagnosis using ultrasound. This book provides a thorough, modern introduction to the study of linear and nonlinear waves. Beginning with fundamental concepts of motion, the book goes on to discuss linear and nonlinear mechanical waves, thermodynamics, and constitutive models for a variety of gases, liquids, and solids. Among the important areas of research and application are impact analysis, shock wave...