INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, VOL.

23,609-622 (1986)

AN ALGORITHM FOR EXACT EIGENVALUE

CALCULATIONS FOR ROTATIONALLY PERIODIC
STRUCTURES

F. W. WILLIAMS
Department of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology, Cardig,
Wales. U .K .

SUMMARY
An existing algorithm ensures that no eigenvalues are missed when using the stiffness matrix method of
structural analysis, where the eigenvalues are the natural frequencies of undamped free vibration analyses
or the critical load factors of buckling problems. The algorithm permits efficient multi-level substructuring
and gives ‘exact’ results when the member equations used are those obtained by solving appropriate
differential equations. The present paper extends this algorithm to cover rotationally periodic (i.e. cyclically
symmetric) three-dimensional structures which are analysed by using complex arithmetic to obtain a stiffness
matrix which involves only one of the rotationally repeating portions of the structure. Nodes and members
are allowed to coincide with the axis of rotational periodicity and the resulting modes are classified. Rigid
body freedoms are accounted for empirically, and the ‘exact’ member equations and efficient multi-level
substructuring of the earlier algorithm can be used when assembling the stiffness matrix of the repeating
portion.

INTRODUCTION
Numerous papers have dealt with either the static or dynamic stiffness analysis of rotationally
periodic (i.e. cyclically symmetric) three-dimensional structures. Such papers may be traced from
significant recent papers,lP7 which indicate the variety of approaches adopted. The periodicity
is such that the structure consists of P portions which are identical, with thejth portion rotated
+
clockwise about the axis by rl/ to obtain the ( j 1)th portion, where
rl/ = 2z/F (1)
Figure 1 gives a simple two-dimensional example,’ for which the detail on the figure is discussed
later. If each portion has N degrees-of-freedom, making a total of PN in the complete structure,
Thomas’ reduced the problem to the mathematical eigenvalue problem
(A - 2B)D 0 =L
(2)
where his Iz is the square of the circular frequency o,A and B are N x N complex matrices which
are Hermitian, and D is the complex displacement vector of a single portion from which the
complex displacement vectors of the remaining F - 1 portions are easily derived. The real and
imaginary parts of these displacement vectors are both possible modes, so that natural frequencies
appear in coincident pairs except in special cases for which A and B are real and symmetric.
The present paper first presents theory for three-dimensional structures similar to that of

0029-598 1 /86/070609- 14$07.00 Received 10 September 1984

0 1986 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Revised 28 July 1985
610 F. W. WILLIAMS

j=3
Figure 1. A rotationally periodic plane frame with: P = 6; 0= free node; 0 =clamped node; -- member; and
-- -member of repeating portion. Members cross without touching where nodes are not shown

Thomas and extends it to include buckling problems, in which A is a load factor. In particuiar,
it shows that the leading principal minors of the Hermitian matrix A - AB form a Sturm sequence,
resulting in an algorithm for finding all required eigenvalues with certainty. The eigenvalues are
understood in this paper to mean the circular natural frequencies (= ,I1/’) in vibration problems
and to mean the critical load factors in buckling problems. The paper then departs from Thomas’s
work, by extending the algorithm to cover solutions which use ‘infinite models’, in which the
repeating portion contains members which are represented by the classical ‘exact’ stiffnesses
obtained by solving their governing differential equations. Hence N is effectively infinite for
equation (2), and the N x N matrix A - AB is replaced by a finite order ‘exact’ n x n matrix k
which is a transcendental function of A. Then the paper shows that Thomas’s work can be
extended to include nodes lying on the axis of rotation of a structure, and proceeds to adapt
the algorithm to cover infinite models which have such nodes.
The algorithm permits substructures to be used when assembling a repeating portion, either
as well as or instead of the exact member theory which yields infinite models.
Most papers have not covered infinite model^',',^,^ and some of them are not based on the
stiffness matrix method.6 Of the rest, several present methods which use the algorithm described
above, and so are able to find eigenvalues with certainty for infinite model^.^*^^^-^ However,
these papers assume the validity of the algorithm without proof, either by inferring its existence
’
from the corresponding algorithm for non-repetitive structures’ O-l or from advance knowledge
of the present paper. Note that only one such paper permitted unclamped nodes on the axis.’
One of the papers cited above assumed that the repeating portion could have a plane of
reflective symmetry,’ so that only half the portion need be retained in the analysis, and another
of the papers requires such ~ymrnetry.~ These papers both used real arithmetic throughout and
only permit the jth portion to be connected to its immediate neighbours, i.e. the ( j- 1)th and
( j+ 1)th portions. Such reflective symmetry is not covered by the present paper.

REDUCTION TO N x N EIGENVALUE PROBLEM

This section has similarities to the approach adopted by Thomas.’ Let Dj be the complex
displacement vector of the jth repeating portion ( j = 1,2,. ..,P ) in the sense that either the real
or the imaginary parts of the Dj are the displacements associated with buckling at a critical
buckling load in a buckling problem, or are the amplitudes of sinusoidally time-dependent
in-phase displacements in vibration problems. The displacement co-ordinate systems of the
various repeating portions are assumed to be conformable, which means that at any point of
 ROTATIONALLY PERIODIC STRUCTURES 61 1

connection between two portions the co-ordinate systems of both portions coincide. This
assumption is automatically satisfied by using a cylindrical or spherical polar co-ordinate system
throughout the entire structure, but can also be satisfied by alternative means.
Because of the rotational periodicity
Dj+p= Dj (3)
and so the complete set of stiffness equations
K,Dc = (A, - ;IB,)D, z-. 0 (4)
of the whole structure can be written as
P P

1z]1 K,*D,+,-,
q=
= C1 (A,*-I-BZ)Dm+q--l= 0
q=
m = 1,2, ..., P

where

(with AT symmetric and AT;-q+2= (A,*)T for q = 2,3,. . .,P, since A, is symmetric because it
is a real direct stiffness matrix) and K, and B, are similarly related to the K,* and BZ. Thus
the real N x N stiffness matrices KZ are the direct (4 = 1) and cross (2 d q 6 P ) stiffnesses
of one of the repeating portions and so can be assembled in the usual way from the stiffnesses
of its component members, i.e. the members shown by bold lines in Figure 1. In vibration
problems, the KZ are the components of the dynamic stiffness matrix K, of the structure, and
similarly the A,* and BZ are the components of, respectively, its static stiffness matrix A, and
its mass matrix B,. In buckling problems the A,* and B,* are, respectively, the components of
the static and geometrical stiffness matrices A, and B,.
The most general solution which satisfies equations (I), ( 3 ) and (5) is
Dj = D, exp (ijh$) (7)
with i = J - 1 and
h = 0 , 1 , 2,..., h
h = integer ( P / 2 )
where the range of values of h given in equation (8) covers all the independent solutions of
equation (5). The last term in equation (8) is the largest integer which does not exceed P/2, i.e.
P/2 when P is even and (P - 1)/2 when P is odd. It follows that the exponential of equation (7)
is real when h = 0, and when h = P/2 with P even, but is complex for all other values of h.
Equation ( 5 ) represents P equations, given by m = 1,2,... ,P. However, after substitution from
equation (7),division by exp(imh$) and using (see equation (1))
exp { i(P - q)h$) = exp ( - iqh$) (9)
these P equations each reduce to the same equation, namely
KD =(A - AB)D = 0 (10)
612 F. W. WILLIAMS

where
D=D,

4’ = integer { ( P + 1)/2) (13)

and
F=O for P odd
for P even (14)
= KTP+2),2exP{ih.n)

so that F is always real. Note that equations (12)-(14) give A by replacing the symbol K by the
symbol A throughout (so that K,* becomes A,*, etc.) and that similarly B is given by replacing
the symbol K by the symbol B throughout the equations. Now for 2 < 4 < 4’, the line beneath
equation (6) gives =(A,*)T and the corresponding results for K$-q+2 and B,*-4+2.
Hence K, A and B are complex Hermitian matrices, except that they become real and symmetric
if h = 0, or if P is even and h = P/2, since h$ is then equal to 0 and n, respectively.

THE STURM SEQUENCE PROPERTY OF K

As a preliminary we note that the sign count, s{H), of any non-singular Hermitian matrix H
of order N has been defined13 as the number of reversals of sign between consecutive members
of the sequence H,, H,, H,, .. .,H,, where H , = + 1 and H,(r = 1,2,. ..,N ) is the leading principal
minor of order r of H. s{H) is easily computed by transforming H into upper triangular form
HAby the usual form of Gaussian elimination, in which rows are taken as pivotal in order, and
appropriate multiples of the pivotal row are added to (unscaled) succeeding rows to make all
elements below the pivot zero. Then the rth diagonal element of HAis equal to H,/H,_ and it ,
follows that s{H) is simply equal to the number of negative diagonal elements in HA.
Wittrick and Williams13 modified a proof of GuptaI4 (which was itself related to an earlier
proof of Peters and Wilkin~on’~) to show that:

Theorem 1. If A and B are Hermitian and A is positive definite, the solutions Aj of the
determinantal equation det / A - ;IBI = 0 (which are all real) are such that the number of them
which lie between zero and some chosen (positive or negative) value A* is equal to s ( A - A*B>.

(Strictly, the proof of theorem 1 given in Reference 13 was for A real, symmetric and positive
definite, but it is easy to verify that the proof is also valid for A Hermitian and positive definite.)
Theorem 1 can be used to enable the eigenvalues of equation (10) to be found with certainty,
e.g. by bisection or other methods,12 because it has already been shown that in equation (10)
A and B are Hermitian (or real and symmetric) and it will now be shown that A is also positive
definite.
Consider equation (4).In buckling problems, and in vibration problems for unloaded structures,
A, is the static stiffness matrix of the whole structure and so is positive definite for any structure
which is supported so as to prevent rigid body freedoms. (Such supports are assumed for the
present, but in a later section rigid body freedoms are introduced empirically to permit, among
others, analysis of structures in space.) For vibrations of loaded structures, A, is the static stiffness
matrix, less the load factor times the geometric stiffness matrix. Therefore it must be positive
definite, as otherwise the vibration problem is meaningless because the structure will buckle
during loading.
 ROTATIONALLY PERIODIC STRUCTURES 613

Because A, is positive definite

DFAcDc> 0
for all Dc, where the superscript H denotes Hermitian transpose. Now let
DF= [DT,DTexp{ih$),DTexp(2ih$), ..., DTexp(i(P- l)h+}] (1 6)
where D is any complex vector of order N. Then, by using equations (6) and (9), and remembering
that A is given by equation (12) with the symbol A used in place of the symbol K throughout
(so that KZ becomes A:, etc.), it is easy to show by multiplication that
DFA,D, = P(DHAD) (17)
Since D is any complex vector of order N, equations (15) and (17) show that the stated aim of
showing that A is positive definite has been achieved. Therefore we conclude from Theorem 1
that J , the number of eigenvalues of equation (10) which lie between zero and A*, is given by
J = s{K) = s(A - d*B) (18)
where it is understood that K is evaluated at d = i*.
This simple algorithm for J , which is extended to the transcendental eigenvalue problems of
infinite models in the next section, can be used as a check at each iteration of a convergence
procedure (such as bisection) to ensure that the procedure does not miss the eigcnvalue(s) being
sought. The corresponding algorithm for infinite models of non-periodic structures has been
known for some time'O~'' and has proved very useful."
When K is complex, the eigenvalues appear in coincident pairs and J is the number of such
pairs lying between zero and A*. Two brief explanations follow. First, when K is complex, the
eigenvectors of equation (10) are also complex, with their real and imaginary parts giving two
separate modes. Secondly, if equation (10) is written in real arithmetic we have

[:: - ~[~:]=[
~ ~]
]
(where the superscripts R and I, respectively, denote real and imaginary parts) and the sign
count of the 2N x 2N real left-hand-side matrix is demonstrably 2s(K}, = 25 from equation (18).
In passing, it may be noted that the real formulation given above still results if h is replaced
by P - h because then equation (12) results in K being replaced by its complex conjugate, since
equation (1) gives exp (iq(P - h)$) = exp { - iqh$). This amplifies the reason why h' =
integer(P/2) in equation (8), rather than h' = P - 1.
It is sometimes necessary to know J,, the total number of eigenvalues between zero and E.*.
Pairs of coincident eigenvalues contribute two to J , and so
5, =J when stiffness matrix real
= 25 when stiffness matrix complex
where 5 is found from equation (18), or from alternative equations such as equations (29) and
(46) below.
The eigenvalues of the rotationally periodic structure can be found by solving the N x N
eigenvalue problem of equation (10) for each of the h + 1 values of h given by equation (8).
When P is odd, the stiffness matrix of equation (10) is real for only one of these values of h
(i.e. h = 0), and so from equation (19) the total number of eigenvalues found will be N + 2h",
= P N from equation (8). Similarly, when P is even, the stiffness matrix is real for only two values
of h, as explained beneath equation (14), giving a total of {2N + 2(h' - l)N) = P N eigenvalues.
614 F. W. WILLIAMS

Thus for N odd or even, there are P N eigenvalues. This gives a useful check, because the original
formulation of equation (4) also gives P N real eigenvalues, because this is the order of the real
matrix K,. Equation (4) also shows that all the eigenvalues are positive for vibration problems
because B, is then the positive semi-definite mass matrix, but that some or all of the eigenvalues
may be negative for buckling problems.

AN ALGORITHM FOR TRANSCENDENTAL EIGENVALUE PROBLEMS

The Sturm sequence property of equation (18) is now extended to the transcendental eigenvalue
problems which arise when infinite models are used to represent structures. An infinite model
is one in which some or all of the components of the real structure are idealized as 'members'
which have continuous distributions of stiffness and mass. Thus the model has an infinite number
of degrees-of-freedom, and consequently an infinite number of eigenvalues. Examples of this
occur in vibration or stability analysis of frames, where the members are treated as one-
dimensional beams with the slope-deflection equations modified (by solving the appropriate
differential equation) to include inertia effects and/or the destabilizing effects of axial loads.'6*' '
Equation (10) can be partitioned as follows:

where k,, is n x n, II is arbitrary and e and r are convenient subscripts which relate later to,
respectively, eliminated and retained displacement components. Applying Gaussian elimination
in the form described above theorem 1 gives

i.e.
KAD= 0
where G is a rectangular matrix of no further interest, kAis the upper triangular matrix obtained
from k by the form of Gaussian elimination described previously, and k ( = k,, - kf;tk,'k,,, i.e.
the stiffness matrix used in substructure analysis) is readily found as the matrix standing where
k,, originally stood if the Gaussian elimination process is temporarily arrested at the stage where
all the rows in k,, have been pivotal, to give

Now the sign count of a matrix was defined above Theorem 1 as the number of negative diagonal
elements in its upper triangular form. Hence, since equations (21) and (22) are alternative
statements of the same result,

so that equation (18) gives

J = S{kee> + s(k)
The original ordering of D was arbitrary, and so equation (23) can be used to eliminate any
set, d,, of its elements to give the nonlinear eigenvalue problem
kd=O (26)
 ROTATIONALLY PERIODIC STRUCTURES 615

In particular, d can be chosen as the displacement vector of the nodes at which the members
of an infinite model are connected. Then letting N - + co makes the (n x n) stiffness matrix k a
transcendental function of 2. Alternatively, the same k can be obtained directly from the member
equations of the infinite model, as described at the end of this section. Then the s(k) of
equation (25) can be computed, but k,, is not available and so s{k,,) cannot be computed as
such. Instead, it is imagined that constraints are applied to constrain all the elements d of D to
be zero. Equation (20) shows that the eigenvalues of this constrained portion are given by
k,,d, = 0 (27)
so that J,, the value of J for this constrained portion, is given by equation (18) as
J , = s{kee )
Hence, equation (25) becomes
J =J , + s(k}
This algorithm is an extension of one used extensively’2 for non-repetitive structures and J ,
can be calculated exactly as in this earlier context. Briefly, when d is clamped the structure
degenerates into a set of members with their ends clamped and so
Jo=CJm (30)
where the summation is over all members contained within a repeating portion and J m is the
number of eigenvalues of an individual member which lie between zero and A* when the ends
of the member are clamped. Formulae are available which give J , for many types of member12,17
and for substructures,” so that k can be assembled from substructures and/or members, and
such substructures can themselves contain substructures which contain further substructures,
etc., to any required level.
For a non-periodic structure, well-established methods enable the overall stiffness matrix of
an infinite model to be assembled from the transcendental exact stiffnesses (transformed to allow
for member alignment) of its component members. These methods can be expressed in matrix
algebra, but in practice such matrix operations are often avoided by performing equivalent
operations on each member stiffness, and then accumulating it directly in the appropriate location
of the overall stiffness matrix. Similarly, the transcendental matrix k of a rotationally periodic
structure can be assembled element by element from the exact member stiffnesses (Reference 9
gives relevant detail) by performing operations equivalent to the matrix operations of the next
paragraph.
The methods just described for non-periodic structures enable matrices k,*, which are the
infinite model counterparts of the K,* of equation (3,to be assembled directly from the stiffnesses
of all the component members of a single repeating portion of the structure. k can then be found
by using equations (12)-(14) with the symbol K replaced by the symbol k throughout, so that
K,* becomes k,*, etc.

NODES O N AXIS AND MEMBERS ALONG AXIS

Many rotationally periodic structures have ‘axis nodes’, i.e. nodes on the axis. Such nodes are
often connected by ‘axis members’, i.e. members lying along the axis. A typical example, for
which a method related to the one which follows already exists,18 is the stayed column. Figure 2
shows a simple case. More generally, such columns consist of a core, formed by axis members,
which has any number of identical stay frames evenly spaced round it. Each stay frame consists
of beam columns, which sometimes form bipods, and pretensioned stays.
616 F. W. WILLIAMS

bipod stays
h core

A
Figure 2. A simple stayed column, with the axis members which form the core shown thickest

For any rotationally periodic structure, each of the P identical portions is defined to include
all the axis nodes and axis members. However, any point masses or rotatory inertias at axis
nodes, and the stiffnesses of any springs attached to axis nodes (which have to occur in equal
perpendicular pairs for P > 2, because of the rotational periodicity of the structure), must be
divided by P, and so must all the properties of axis members other than their length, e.g. their
EA, E I , mass per unit length and axial force. The division by P is performed so that the P
identical portions will form the axis of the required structure, and hence give the required
solution, if the displacements of corresponding axis nodes in every portion are constrained to
be equal, and if corresponding axis members in every portion are constrained to deflect identically.
The necessary constraints can be applied as follows.
Let KD, of equation (10) (see also equation (11)) be partitioned to give

L Hermitian
where: X Y Z is a right-hand Cartesian axis system with 2 along the axis, see Figure 1;
D,,(p = X , Y , Z ) contains the translations in the p direction and rotations about the p axis for
all axis nodes (including all internal nodes used to model axis members); and D,, contains all
the displacement components of the other nodes contained by the Pth portion (including all
internal nodes used to model members other than axis members).
Because the displacement co-ordinate systems of portions were assumed above equation (3)
to be conformable, the X Y Z system must be rotated clockwise by $ about the Z axis when
+
moving clockwise from the jth portion to the ( j 1)th portion (see Figure 1). Now let D,, DYj
and DZjbe the displacements of the jth portion which correspond td the D,,, D,, and Dzp of
the Pth portion. Therefore, for compatibility of displacements of the axis nodes of the jth and
Pth portion, Figure 1 gives
DXj= D,, cosj$ + D,, sinj$
+
DYj= - D,, sinj$ D,, cosj$ (33)
DZj= D,,
Substituting from equation (7) gives
+ D,, sinj$
1
D,, exp {ijh~)}= D,, cosj$
Dypexp { ijh$} = - D,, sinj$ + D,, cos,j$ j = 1,2,. . . ,P (33)
D,, exp {ijh$) = D,,
By inspection, for P > 2 equation (33) can only be satisfied in one of the following three ways,
which correspond to the types I, 11, and 11, modes of the stayed columns analysed previously18
 ROTATIONALLY PERIODIC STRUCTURES 6'17

and so will be categorized in the same way:

h = 0, D,, = D,, = 0 (type 11,)
h = 1, D,, = 0, D,, = iD,, (type I)
h > 1, D,, = D,, = D,, = 0
(type 11,)
Thus, axis members flex for a type I mode, but remain straight for both forms of type IT modes.

Type I modes
Equation (35) can be used to eliminate D,, by adding i times the third column of the Hermitian
stiffness matrix of equation (31) to its second column and then deleting the third column. Prior
to these operations, the stiffness matrix is direct in the sense that the displacement and force
vectors which it relates correspond exactly to each other, i.e. the former gives the displacements
of all the nodes of the portion in a certain order and the latter gives the forces at the nodes in
the same order. Direct stiffness matrices must be Hermitian if they are complex, just as they
must be symmetric if they are real. Therefore, to retain the direct nature of the stiffness matrix
the column operations which have just been described must be followed by the appropriate
row operations, namely i times the third row must be subtracted from the second row and then
the third row must be deleted. The fourth row and column can also be deleted because D,, = 0,
to give
+ iK",
[ &JLi
Hermitian K,,
KIJX
+ K,, + i(KXy- Kf,)] [
DIJP
D,,] = [~] (37)

Equation (37) can be written as

K'D' = 0
When computing, the inconvenience of actually removing corresponding rows and columns from
K while obtaining I(' can be avoided by instead making the elements where such rows and
columns intersect very large, e.g. 1030. Referring to equations (10) and (ll),it can be seen that
if the row and column operations which were used to obtain K' from K are applied to A and
B, they give Hermitian matrices A' and B such that
K'=A'-AB' (39)
Equation (42) follows from Theorem 1 by the following argument. From equations (1 5) and
(17), DHADis positive for any choice of D. This result can be used to prove that (D')WA'D' is
positive for any choice of D', so that A' is positive definite, as follows. Let D correspond to any
choice of D', so that DT= [DS,,Df;,, iD$,,O] since D' is obtained by using equation (35).
Then substituting for A from equation (31) gives

D"AD = [I>':,, D&, - iDfp] (40)

while using equation (37) gives

It is readily verified by multiplication that the right-hand sides of equations (40) and (41) are
618 F. W. WILLIAMS

equal. Therefore, (D')IfA'D'= DHAD and so A' is positive definite because of equations (15)
and (17). Hence Theorem 1 gives
J = s(K') = s{A - /2*B') (421
The method associated with equations (20)-f29) enabled the linear eigenvalue problem KD = 0
of order N to be replaced by the transcendental eigenvalue problem kd = 0 of order n. Exactly
the same method can be applied to the linear eigenvalue problem K'D' = 0 of equation (38) to
obtain the transcendental eigenvalue problem
k i d=0 (43)
Moreover, k and d can be obtained directly from k and d exactly as K' and D' were obtained
from K and Df = DP)in equation (37). This gives the transcendental eigenvalue problem
kd'=
[ k,,
Hermitian k,,
k,x + ik,,
+ k,, + i(kx, - k!,) li [ =

where k,,, kux, kUY,k,,, kxr and k,, are defined by partitioning k and d as in equation (31), to
give

Here, d,,(p = X, Y , 2 ) contains those translations and rotations of the axis nodes which are
associated with the p axis of the Pth portion, so that d,, contains all the displacement
components of nodes which are not axis nodes.
The derivation of K' from K involved constraining the axis nodes and the axis members of
different portions to deflect in a compatible way, so that the axis members of the P portions
can be summed to obtain the correct axis members of the complete structure (this is why
EA, E I , etc., were divided by P earlier, when including axis members in a repeating portion).
The constraints used to obtain k' from k, i.e. the constraints explicitly included when deriving
equation (44), only constrain the axis nodes of the different portions to deflect compatibly.
Fortunately this is sufficient to ensure compatibility of the displacements of corresponding axis
members in each of the P portions because the P members are identical and have identical end
displacements due to their ends being at axis nodes. Therefore the algorithm of equation (29) is
replaced by
J = J, + s(k) (46)
where J , is still given by equation (30),but care must be taken when calculating J, for an axis
member, as follows.
First, consider any member which is not an axis member. So long as its cross-section is such
that torsion' and flexure are uncoupled
J , =J , f J , + +
Jb, Jbz (47)
where J,, J,, Jb, and Jbz are the numbers of eigenvalues of the member with its ends clamped
which lie between zero and A* for, respectively, axial vibrations, torsional vibrations and flexu-
ral vibrations about each of the two principal axes of the cross-section of the member.
Now consider an axis member. The constraint D,,=O of equation (35) prevents axial and
 ROTATIONALLY PERIODIC STRUCTURES 619

twisting motion aIong the entire length of the member, so that axial and torsional vibrations
or buckling are impossible and hence J, = J , = 0. The rotational periodicity of the structure
requires that the flexural rigidity of an axis member is the same for all the centroidal axes of its
cross-section, so that J,, = J,,, = J, say. It might be tempting to draw the conclusion that
J, = 25, for an axis member, but the correct value is
J, = J, (48)
+
This can be argued from the fact that the axis member will make a contribution of J,, J,, = 23,
to J, so that equation (19) shows that the member must contribute J, to J , since the stiffness
matrix k' is complex. (It can also be argued from the constraint Dyp= iDxp of equation (35),
which effectively makes pairs of otherwise independent modes identical.)
To summarize, for type I modes (i.e. h = 1) equation (48) must be used for axis members,
whereas equation (47) must be used for all the other members.

Type I1 modes
Using arguments similar to those just used for type I modes, it is easy to see that equations (34)
and (36) result in the algorithm for infinite models of equation (29) being modified as follows.
Type 11, modes are obtained by using h=0, applying constraints to make dXP=dYP=O
(e.g. by removing appropriate rows and columns from k, or by adding near-infinite stiffnesses
to its corresponding leading diagonal elements) and omitting flexural natural frequencies when
calculating J, for axis members. This gives the first parts of equations (49) and (50).
Type 11, modes exist if P > 3 and are obtained by using, in turn, h = 2,3,. . .,h' while applying
constraints to make dxp = d,, = dz, = 0 and taking J, = 0 for axis members. Thus, equation (29)
is replaced by

where J, is calculated from equation (30) with J , given by equation (47) for members which
are not on the axis and by
J, =J , + J,
=O (type 11,)
for axis members.
It may be noted that for the type 11, case, and for the type 11, case if P is even and h = P/2,
the stiffness matrix of equation (49) is real and symmetric, see beneath equation (14). Hence,
equation (19) shows that eigenvalues are singlefold for type 11, modes, and are twofold for
type 11, modes except when P is even and h = P/2.

RIGID BODY FREEDOMS

Let f be the number of rigid body freedoms for a three-dimensional analysis of a structure, so
that 0 6 f 6 6 depending upon the number and positioning of supports. If the structure is
rotationally periodic, it follows from equation (7) that 0 d f < 2 for h = 0, corresponding to
possible rigid body translation along, or rotation about, the axis of rotational periodicity.
620 F. W. WILI,IAMS

Similarly 0 d f < 4 for h = 1 and f = 0 for h > I. Therefore, rigid body freedoms can only occur
for h = 0 or 1, and the rest of this section gives computational procedures by which such freedoms
can be included despite their being excluded (ree above equation (I 5)) by the theoretical derivation.
The addition of redundant springs of very small stiffness does not alter the eigenvalues and
modes to engineering accuracy. Therefore, a simple expedient in computer programs is to
represent such springs by adding very small positive numbers to all the leading diagonal locations
of k, for all values of h. In vibration problems, this replaces the f ‘zero eigenvalues’ associated
with rigid body modes by f very low eigenvalues, which a computer can be programmed to
recognize as rigid body modes, and results in the algorithm of equations (29)>(45) and (49) being
applicable because the springs make A, positive definite. The spring stiffnesses used must be
large enough to be perceptible during computation and small enough to leave the eigenvalues
and modes unaltered to engineering accuracy. For example, times a typical stiffness of the
structure might be used for a computer which works to an accuracy of 1 f significan~figures, to
allow a margin for any ill-conditioning during computation. A danger to avoid in buckling
problems is that the use of such stiffnesses can erroneously replace the ‘zero eigenvalues’ of
the rigid body modes by ordinary order eigenvalues instead of ‘infinite’ ones if prestress is
present and the prestress forces are calculated (or presented as data for a computer program)
to less than computer accuracy. The cause is the small external forces implied by the prestress
forces not balancing to machine accuracy. This danger is illustrated, without introducing the
complicatjon of rotational periodicity, by considering a beam column which is prestressed by a
concentric wire. Figure 3 shows the external compressive force A E ~implied by the compressive
force in the beam column exceeding the tension in the wire by a small amount Ai..,.The small
stiffnessesof the springs used to remove the non-axial rigid body freedoms are E ~and so it is
$

apparent that a ‘zero eigenvalue’ has been replaced by a buckling load factor of c,l/e,, which
can have any order depending on the ratio of the two small quantities and cz.
An alternative method for eliminating rigid body freedoms is to introduce just enough springs
to remove them. These springs can be of infinite stiffness in buckling problems, but must be of
sufficientlylow stiffness to leave the required natural frequencies unaItered in vibration problems.
(However, a computer program may use the buckling route to check that a structure is stable
before proceeding to calculate its natural frequencies,and then data preparation may be simplified
by using the same low stiffnesses for the buckling and vibration calculations.) The set of springs
needed can be determined as follows. Because the structure is rotationally periodic any spring
at a node (except for axis nodes) must be accompanied by P - 1 identical springs at the nodes
obtained by successive rotations by tf, about the axis. Thus the two rigid body modes which are
possible when 11 = 0 can be removed by adding the springs to two suitable leading diagonal
locations of k, implying the addition of 2P springs to the structure. Since the leading diagonal
locations used must be chosen to prevent rigid body ~ ~ ~ n s l a taiong,
i o n and rotation about, the
axis of rotational periodicity, a possible choice is the locations correspo~djngto the translation
element in each of DYIand DzJ(see Figure 1) for any one node which does not lie on the axis
of rotational periodicity. An advantage of this choice of locations is that i t can be seen that the
same pair of springs can also be used to eliminate the four rigid body freedoms (associated with

I I
1
I
r.r 1
Figure 3. Beam coiumn on elastic supports
 ROTATIONALLY PERIODIC STRUCTURES 62 1

translation along and rotation about any pair of axes which are perpendicular to the axis of
periodicity) which are possible for h = 1.
If the value of f is not obvious for a vibration problem, it can be computed as the value of
J at a value of ic. which is known to lie between the next lowest eigenvalue and the very low ‘rigid
body eigenvalues’ which result from adding springs of very low stiffness. Computation of the
first f eigenvalues can then be omitted (or alternatively J can be replaced by J - .f at all trial
values of A) to exclude rigid body modes from the number of eigenvalues between zero and A*.
Finally, although their use on all occasions is probably a wise precauticn, there is often no
need to use the springs described in this section. For example, if B, happens to be positive
definite the origin of can be shifted by a small amount E by replacing ;1 by i?‘ = A + F. Hence
equation (4) is replaced by [(A, f FB,) - k‘BJ D, = 0 in which A, + FB, is positive definite (since
A, is positive semi-definite when it is not positive definite) and so the algorithm of equations (29),
(46) and (49) is valid.

CONCLUSIONS
The algorithm derived as equation (29) enables all required eigenvalues to be found with certainty
when using the stiffness matrix method of structural analysis to analyse rotationally periodic
structures by using complex arithmetic to obtain a stiffness matrix k which involves only one
of the P repeating portions of the structure. The algorithm gives ‘exact’results when the member
equations used are those obtained by solving appropriate differential equations, and permits
multi-level substructuring to be used efficiently when assembling k.
The axis nodes which lie on the axis of rotational periodicity, and the axis members which
connect such nodes, can be accounted for by using equations (46) and (49) instead of equation
(29). The resulting modes can be classified as type I, in which axis members (if present) flex
without twisting or stretching, type 11, in which axis members extend or twist without flexing,
and type 11, in which axis members are totally undeformed.
Equations (29), (46) or (49) must be used to compute J at values of A. which are arranged
(e.g. by using a bisection routine) to converge on all the required eigenvalues. Such calculations
must be repeated for all integers h lying between 0 and integer ( P / 2 ) inclusive, noting that k
is real for h = 0 and, when P i&even, for h = P/2.
The final section indicates how rigid body freedoms can be allowed for, and Reference 9 shows
how the algorithm of the present paper was implemented to obtain a computer program for
three-dimensional frames and also gives illustrative results for structures in space.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author is most grateful to Emeritus Professor W. H. Wittrick, formerly Head of the
Department of Civil Engineering in the University of Birmingham, for stimulating his interest
in the subject matter of this paper, and providing a proof of the Sturm sequence property of K,
as expressed by equation (18), upon which the proof given in this paper is based. The author’s
understanding has also benefited from numerous helpful discussions with Dr. M. S. Anderson,
of NASA’s Langley Research Center.

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622 F. W. WILLIAMS

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