Interest in nonlinear problems in mechanics has been revived and intensified by the capacity of digital computers. Consequently, a question offundamental importance is the development of solution procedures which can be applied to a large class of problems. Nonlinear problems with a parameter constitute one such class. An important aspect of these problems is, as a rule, a question of the variation of the solution when the parameter is varied. Hence, the method of continuing the solution with respect to a parameter is a natural and, to a certain degree, universal tool for analysis. This book...