摘要： This book has evolved from the passionate desire of the author in using the modern concepts of piezoelectric materials for the design improvement of sensors and actuators. In this connection, the author took up his doctoral studies whose findings have resulted in this book. The initial focus here is on the basic theory, application, and drawbacks of piezoelectric materials. The types of deformation produced in piezoelectric materials due to different piezoelectric effects are reported briefly. Further, the concept of functionally graded material (FGM) used in the design of piezoelectric materials with graded properties is described. The engineering applications of functionally graded piezoelectric materials (FGPMs) are summarized thereafter. In the latter sections, the modal analysis of FGPM actuators is provided. Two types of actuator geometries are taken into consideration—first is beam, and the second is annular plate. The effects of various parameters on the natural frequencies are given in detail. A detailed account of a new numerical technique called the generalized differential quadrature (GDQ), adopted in this book, is also provided. An extension of this technique for the analysis of FGPM structures becomes an important endeavor. The overall focus is on the vibration analysis of FGPM actuators excited under the shear effect using the GDQ method.