A

motion
of body
B
is a continuous time sequence of displacements that
carries the set of particles
X
into various configurations in a stationary space.
Such a motion may be expressed by the equation
x
=

(
X
,
t
) (4.1-3)
which gives the position
x
for each particle
X
for all times
t
, where
t
ranges
from –

to +

. As with configuration mappings, we assume the motion
function in Eq 4.1-3 is uniquely invertible and differentiable, so that we
may
write the inverse
X
=

–1
(
x
,
t
) (4.1-4)
which identifies the particle
X
located at position
x
at time
t
.
We give special meaning to certain configurations of the body. In
particular,
we single out a
reference configuration
from which all displacements are reckoned.
For the purpose it serves, the reference configuration need not be one
the body ever actually occupies. Often, however, the
initial configuration,
that
is, the one which the body occupies at time
t
= 0, is chosen as the reference
configuration, and the ensuing deformations and motions related to it.
The
current configuration
is that one which the body occupies at the current time
t
.
In developing the concepts of strain, we confine attention to two specific
configurations without any regard for the sequence by which the second
configuration is reached from the first. It is customary to call the first
(reference)
state the
undeformed configuration,
and the second state the
deformed
configuration
. Additionally, time is not a factor in deriving the various strain
tensors, so that both configurations are considered independent of time.
In fluid mechanics, the idea of specific configurations has very little
meaning
since fluids do not possess a natural geometry, and because of this it is
the
velocity field
of a fluid that assumes the fundamental kinematic role.