Abstract
The matrix sign function is shown to provide a simple and direct method to derive some fundamental results in the theory of surface waves in anisotropic materials. It is used to establish a shortcut to the basic formulas of the Barnett-Lothe integral formalism and to obtain an explicit solution of the algebraic matrix Riccati equation for the surface impedance. The matrix sign function allows the Barnett-Lothe formalism to be readily generalized for the problem of finding the surface wave speed in a periodically inhomo-geneous half-space with material properties that are independent of depth. No partial wave solutions need to be found; the surface wave dispersion equation is formulated instead in terms of blocks of the matrix sign function of i times the Stroh matrix.