MECCANICA 20 (198'5), 43- , till recently subjected to numerous studies. The present paper, inspecting the conceptual outline of analytic investigations referred to, aims at facilitating the use of the abundant literature by engineers.Many deem that actual progress in numerical aids and availability of computation programs make these studies obsolete. On the contrary, it could be argued that, as these developments open to access by engineers a wider field of advanced problems, the need for analytic exploration becomes more and more impellent. Moreover, attention is called to the fact that the present diffusion of small computers makes more analytical approaches now practicable.Paper is incomplete: the important question of stress concentrations is not touched on, assuming that the analysis of these singularities is to be based on the study of the prevailing regular region of the stress field.Special attention is devoted to an investigation [3] being carried out in contact with the writer: its relevance in connection with literature is examined here.2. Generalities. The usual cylindric reference is adopted, denoting by Rr, Rz radial and axial coordinates, R being a reference length. Let V 2 be the axisymmetric Laplace operator 3 2 + r -1 a r + ~}z with d r = ~/br, a z = b/az. Material * Department of Structures, Politecnico di Torino. is assumed to be elastic isotropic, with tangential modulus G and Poisson's ratio v, both constant. The displacement field contains only radial and axial components, denoted by Ru r, Ru~. Let 2Ga r be the normal stress in radial direction: similar notation is used for circumferential o 0, axial a z and for the only tangential stress rrz. Non-dimensional variables are used without further notice.Homogeneous axisymmetric solutions are usually constructed by use of the biharmonic Love function • ([4], p. 276). From it, by differentiations, displacements and stresses are derived. Note that the expressions for the stresses can be obtained from the displacements through the elasticity relationships: moreover the stresses thus obtained comply with the equilibrium condition for radial forces. Therefore this formulation obeys the compatibility conditions and one ecluilibrium condition, for any choice of • whereas the equilibrium of axial forces requires that • be biharmonic. Therefore the denomination of stress function for • adopted by some Authors, is misleading as it suggests a false analogy with proper stress functions. These lead to an equilibrium configuration of stresses independently of their properties, which are dictated by compatibility of deformations(i). Distinction between stress and displacement functions is necessary when energy methods are adopted.A straightforward formulation is furnished by the equilibrium equations in terms of displacements. One of these may be written in the form V20 = 0 where 0 is the cubic dilatation, expressed for axisymmetric situations by the relation 0 = ~rUr -1" r'lu r 4" ~zUz.(The other equation writesConsider the solutions expressed by products o...