emphasize, however, that the material coordinates are used in

conjunction
with the reference configuration only, and the spatial coordinates serve
for
all other configurations. As already remarked, the material coordinates
are
therefore time independent.
We may express Eq 4.2-4 in either a Cartesian component or a
coordinatefree
notation by the equivalent equations
x
i
=

i
(
X
A
,
t
) or
x
=

(
X
,
t
) (4.2-6)
It is common practice in continuum mechanics to write these equations
in
the alternative forms
x
i
=
x
i
(
X
A
,
t
) or
x
=
x
(
X
,
t
) (4.2-7)
with the understanding that the symbol
x
i
(or
x
) on the right-hand side of
the equation represents the
function
whose arguments are
X
and
t
, while the
same symbol on the left-hand side represents the
value
of the function, that
is, a point in space. We shall use this notation frequently in the text that
follows.
Notice that as
X
ranges over its assigned values corresponding to the
reference configuration, while
t
simultaneously varies over some designated
interval of time, the vector function

gives the spatial position
x
occupied
at any instant of time for every particle of the body. At a specific time,
say
at
t
=
t
1
, the function

defines the configuration