Variational principles for multi-walled carbon nanotubes undergoing buckling based on nonlocal elasticity theory

Variational principles are derived for multi-walled carbon nanotubes undergoing buckling using the semi-inverse method. Derivations are based on the continuum modelling of nanotubes taking into account small scale effects via the nonlocal theory of elasticity. Natural and geometric boundary conditions for multi-walled nanotubes are derived which leads to a set of coupled boundary conditions.