Mixed energy method for solution of quadratic programming problems and elastic-plastic analysis of truss structures

A new algorithm for the solution of quadratic programming problems is put forward in terms of the mixed energy theory and is further used for the incremental solution of elastic-plastic truss structures. The method proposed is different from the traditional one, for which the unknown variables are selected just in one class such as displacements or stresses. The present method selects the variables in the mixed form with both displacement and stress. As the method is established in the hybrid space, the information found in the previous incremental step can be used for the solution of the present step, making the algorithm highly efficient in the numerical solution process of quadratic programming problems. The results obained in the examples of the elastic-plastic solution of the truss structures verify what has been predicted in the theoretical analysis. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 50178916, No. 19732020 and No. 19872016), the National Key Basic Research Special Foundation (No. G1999032805), the Special Funds for Major State Basic Research Projects and the Foundation for University Key Teachers by the Ministry of Education of China.