On direct and inverse problems related to longitudinal impact of non-uniform elastic rods

The impact of two non-uniform elastic rods is considered and a recursive method was developed that solves the inverse problem: Find the location-dependent impedance function of the impacting rod that generates a prescribed impact force. The developed method delivers exact solutions in closed-form. Moreover, a condition is derived which states if a physically meaningful solution exists. Finally, the underlying 1D model has been validated experimentally.