Fractional Differential Equations: A Primer for Structural Dynamics Applications

This paper presents a very brief overview of the framework for the application of fractional calculus (FC) in structural dynamics with the target audience from two scholarly communities, namely, structural dynamists and applied mathematicians. For the former, this paper provides a quick and simplified introduction to fractional differential equations (FDE) to explore the dynamics of structures consisting of rate-dependent materials. A systematic link has been shown between conventional structural dynamics (CSD) and its fractional generalisation. Whereas, for the latter, it highlights the powerful applications of fractional equations in the broad field of structural dynamics with some potential problems that may need their attention in the near future.