First organized in 1981, the WASCOM conference to bring together researchers and scientists from all over the world to discuss problems, promote collaborations and shape future directions for research in the field of stability and wave propagation in continuous media.This book constitutes the proceedings of the 11th edition of the conference, the first of the third millennium. The main topics are: (1) Linear and nonlinear hyperbolic equations, conservation laws and specific aspects of wave propagation; (2) stability of systems of PDEs, with particular reference to those of fluid and solid mechanics; (3) extended thermodynamics and passage from microscopic to macroscopic description of the medium for systems characterized also by inelastic interactions at the kinetic scale.The proceedings have been selected for coverage in: • Index to Scientific & Technical Proceedings (ISTP CDROM version / ISI Proceedings)