In 1969 scientists came together for the first time to discuss problems of instability of continuous systems on a IUTAM - Symposium. Since then twelve years of a fast and interesting development in the field of stability have passed. Therefore it was necessary to arrange a meeting for scientists again in order to exchange experiences and opinions about this topic. In 1978 the Bureau of IUTAM asked me to become chairman of the scientific committee of the Second IUTAM Symposium on Stability in the Mechanics of Continua and to organize this meeting. The following scientists have been appointed as members of this scientific committee: Prof. T. B. Benjamin University of Oxford, Mathematical Institute Oxford, GB Prof. V. V. Bolotin USSR Academy of Science, Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Moscow, USSR Prof. J. W. Hutchinson Harvard University, Division of Applied Sciences Cambridge, USA Prof. K. Kirchgassner Universitat Stuttgart, Mathematisches Institut A Stuttgart, FRG Prof. A. Kulikovsky Mechanics National Committee Moscow, USSR VI Prof. H. H. E. Leipholz University of Waterloo, Department of Civil Engineering Waterloo, Canada Prof. R. C. Di Prima Rensselaer Poly technical Institute, Department of Mathematical Science, Troy, USA The symposium took place in Nlimbrecht near Cologne from th th August the 31 to September the 4 , 1981 and it dealt with both solid and fluid continua. The following volume contains the lectures in the succession as they were held during the symposium, devided into two parts: 1.

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Stability of Solid Continua and Mathematical Methods.- The General Stability Equations in the Theory of Rods.- On Lateral Beam Buckling and Finite-Deflection Plate Theory.- On the Stability of Continua with Elastic-Inelastic Material Behaviour.- Bounds to the Critical Stresses in Bifurcation of Cylindrical Specimens in the Case of Non-Associated Flow Laws.- On Stability of Interaction between Continuous and Lumped Systems in Stationary Relative Motion.- Duality and Stability Questions for the Linearized Traction Problem with Live Loads in Elasticity.- Crossover Effect in Reflected Waves at the Interface between an Elastic Bar and a Viscoelastic Half-Space.- The Stability Equations of the Consistent Nonlinear Elastic Shell Theory with Moderate Rotations.- The Concept of Reduced-Membrane-Buckling Determining Bounds of Buckling Loads and Imperfection-Sensitivity of Shells.- Axially-Loaded, Imperfect, Cylindrical Shells.- Stability of Cylindrical Shells with Piecewise Constant Thickness under Combined Loading.- Energy-Consistent Linear and Nonlinear Stability Equations for Hyperelastic Shells.- Inelastic Buckling of Thin, Prismatic Flat-Walled Structures.- On the Buckling Stability of a Thick Elastic Plate (Abstract).- Large Deflections and Stability of Thin-Walled Beam Structures.- On the Stability and Large Deflection Analysis of Elastic Bars.- Imperfection Sensitivity of a Nearly Double Bifurcation Point.- Snap-Through of a Shallow Arch under Pulsating Load.- Effect of Pretwist on the Stability of a Nonuniform Cantilever under Circulatory Force.- On the Basic Properties of Stability Regions and Boundaries of Rotating Flexible Shafts.- Postbuckling Analysis of Divergence and Flutter Instability Structures under Tangential Loads.- A Consistent Energy Approach to Defining Stability of Plastic Deformation Processes.- Dynamic Stability of Mechanical Systems with Hereditary Properties.- Existence of Solutions to Unstable Problems in Linear Elastodynamics.- Asymptotic Behaviour of Some Linear Evolution Equations.- Numerical Nonlinear Analysis of Structural Instability.- Stochastic Buckling of Shells with General Imperfections.- Stability of Fluid Continua.- Reduced Molecular Chaos and Flow Instability.- Laminar-Turbulent Transition in Taylor-Couette Flow, Influence of Geometrical Parameters.- Taylor-Görtler Vortices in Fully Developed or Boundary Layer Flows.- Nonlinear Development and Secondary Instability of Görtler Vortices.- Stability of Nonparallel Developing Flow in Circular Ducts to Asymmetric Disturbances.- A Difficult Numerical Calculation Concerning the Stability of the Blasius Boundary Layer.- On the Stability of Rotating Fluids.- Interactions of Axisymmetric and Non-Axisymmetric Disturbances in the Flow between Concentric Rotating Cylinders: Bifurcations near Multiple Eigenvalues.- Stability of Supercritical Bénard Convection and Taylor Vortex Flow.- Onset of Convection for the Bérard Problem in a Rotating Spherical Shell.- Bifurcation in the Bénard Problem with a Free and Deformable Surface.