This book is intended for researchers, graduate students and engineers in the fields of structure-borne sound, structural dynamics, and noise and vibration control. Based on vibration differential equations, it presents equations derived from the exponential function in the time domain, providing a unified framework for structural vibration analysis, which makes it more regular and normalized. This wave propagation approach (WPA) divides structures at "discontinuity points," and the waves show characteristics of propagation, reflection, attenuation, and waveform conversion. In each segment of the system between two "discontinuity points," the governing equation and constraint are expressed accurately, allowing the dynamic properties of complex systems to be precisely obtained. Starting with basic structures such as beams and plates, the book then discusses theoretical research on complicated and hybrid dynamical systems, and demonstrates that structural vibration can be analyzed from the perspective of elastic waves by applying WPA.

Dr. Chongjian Wu, born in 1960, is a Chief Technologist in the field of vibration and noise reduction at CSIC in PR China. He has received various awards, including a grand prize and the first prize for national science and technology progress and a grand prize for scientific and technological progress in national defense, for his research achievements. He has published many papers in journals like the Journal of Vibration Engineering and the Chinese Journal of Ship Research and a monograph subsidized by the National Publication Fund. He has served as a Chief Designer and received honorary titles such as "Master Ship Designer".