State space approach to thermoelasticity

The method of the matrix exponential, which constitutes the basis of the state space approach of modern control theory, is applied to the nondimensional equations of coupled thermoelasticity. The disadvantages of using the thermoelastic potential are thus avoided. The results obtained can be used to generate solutions in the Laplace-transform domain to a broad class of problems in thermoelasticity. Applications to problems pertaining to a half-space and a layer are presented.