Geometric nonlinear analysis of space structures of the truss or frame type is not a direct extension or repeated application of the procedure for linear elastic analysis. Though researches on this topic have been abundant in the past, they have been directed in general toward the formulation of nonlinear finite elements and the implementation of procedures for solving the simultaneous nonlinear equations. To the author's knowledge, little attention has been given by previous researchers to the rationalty of the finite elements derived and the associated computational procedures. In this paper, a brief review will be given of the various phases involved in a geometric nonlinear analysis, based primarily on the research works conducted by the writer and co-workers in recent years. Particular emphases will be placed on the justification of each phase to see if the principles of continuum mechanics or widely accepted mechanics rules are not violated.

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