Structural optimization is currently attracting considerable attention. Interest in - search in optimal design has grown in connection with the rapid development of aeronautical and space technologies, shipbuilding, and design of precision mach- ery. A special ?eld in these investigations is devoted to structural optimization with incomplete information (incomplete data). The importance of these investigations is explained as follows. The conventional theory of optimal structural design - sumes precise knowledge of material parameters, including damage characteristics and loadings applied to...

The variational method is a powerful tool to investigate states and processes in technical devices, nature, living organisms, systems, and economics. The power of the variational method consists in the fact that many of its sta- ments are physical or natural laws themselves. The essence of the variational approach for the solution of problems rel- ing to the determination of the real state of systems or processes consists in thecomparisonofclosestates.Theselectioncriteriafortheactualstatesmust be such that all the equations and conditions of the mathematical model are satis?ed. Historically,...