Second-order vertical and horizontal wave forces on a circular dock

A second-order potential solution is presented for the diffraction of a nonlinear progressive wave in finite-depth water, incident on a fixed circular dock. The usual perturbation analysis is used to produce first- and second-order subproblems. The mathematical method is based on the assumption that inner and outer solutions exist and these are matched by the requirements of continuity for mass flux and pressure between adjacent regions. It is shown that the solutions for the second-order problem can be derived in the same manner as in the first-order theory.