Space structure forms and systems.

This thesis has three main objectives: (a) The first objective is to present an exposition of the existing knowledge in the field of formex configuration processing. This material forms the contents of Chapter two. (b) The second objective is to provide a critical exposition of the available information on prefabricated space structure systems. This material is presented in Chapter four. (c) The third objective is to introduce a number of new transformations that allow certain important space structure configurations to be generated with convenience. These transformations are referred to as "diamatic retronorms" and "scalloped retronorms". Descriptions of these transformations are given in Chapter three. The material of this Chapter is the original work of the author and is believed to represent a major contribution in the field of formex configuration processing. The final Chapter includes the conclusions of the work as well as suggestions for future research. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.)