The Airy stress function.

 xx  xy
We now apply the above theorem to the equilibrium equations. From   0,
x y

we deduce that there exists a function Ax, y  , such that

A A
 xx  ,  xy   .
y x
 xy  yy
From   0 , we deduce that that there exists a function Bx, y  , such that
x y
B B
 yy  ,  xy   .
x y
A B
Finally, from  , we deduce that that there exists a function  x, y  , such that
x y
 
A , B .
y x
The function  x, y  is known as the Airy (1862) stress function. The three components
of the stress field can now be represented by the stress function:
 2  2  2
 xx  2 ,  yy  2 ,  xy   .
y y yx
Using the stress-strain relations, we can also express the three components of strain field
in terms of the Airy stress function:

1   2  2  1   2  2  21     2
 xx   2  2  ,  yy   2  2  ,  xy   .
E  y x  E  x y  E xy
Compatibility equation. Recall the strain-displacement relations:
w u w v w
 zz  ,  xz   ,  yz   .
z z x z y
Eliminate the two displacements in the three strain displacement relations, and we obtain that

 2 xx   yy   xy
2 2

  .
y 2 x 2 xy
This equation is known as the compatibility equation.
Biharmonic equation.
Inserting the expressions of the strains in terms of  x, y  into the compatibility equation,
and we obtain that
 4  4  4
 2  0.
x 4 x 2y 2 y 4
This equations can also be written as

 2  2   2  2 
 2  2  2  2   0 .
 x y  x y 
It is called the biharmonic equation.
Thus, a procedure to solve a plane stress problem is to solve for  x, y  from the above
PDE, and then calculate stresses and strains. After the strains are obtained, the displacement
field can be obtained by integrating the strain-displacement relations.