The method of caustics for static plane elasticity problems

By use of the complex stress function analysis of Muskhelishvili-Kolosov and conformal mapping procedures the general governing equations of the method of caustics or shadow spot technique have been developed for optically isotropic and anisotropic materials in static plane elasticity theory. Special cases of caustics formed about cutouts, cracks, and various singular regions in static elastic stress fields are obtained upon specialization.