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At leading thin-shell order, a spherical balloon with reference radius $a_0$, thickness $h_0$ and current radius $a=\lambda a_0$ has reference elastic energy $4\pi a_0^2{h}_{0}W(\lambda ,\lambda ,{\lambda }^{-2})$. Equating its differential to pressure work $p4\pi a^{2}da$ gives the displayed pressure difference. Its thickness becomes $h_0{\lambda }^{-2}$ by incompressibility. The same result follows from the spherical membrane force balance $p=2h{\sigma }_t/a$, with current tangential Cauchy stress tensor component ${\sigma }_t=\lambda N$ and the equibiaxial nominal tension of an incompressible sheet. Thin-shell validity requires $h/a\ll 1$.

Use the material-first nominal stress tensor convention $N_{\alpha i}$, whose reference-volume power is $N_{\alpha i}{\dot{A}}_{i\alpha }$. At a regular constraint point, $F_{,A}\ne 0$, all admissible deformation rates satisfy $F_{,A_{i\alpha }}{\dot{A}}_{i\alpha }=0$. Equality of mechanical power and the derivative of the strain energy density givesfor every vector in this eight-dimensional tangent hyperplane. Its orthogonal complement is the span of $F_{,A}$. Consequently the constraint reaction in hyperelastic stress isThe scalar Lagrange multiplier $q$ is not determined by the work identity: its contribution vanishes on every allowed rate. Regularity matters. For example, replacing a regular incompressibility constraint by $(\det A-1{)}^2=0$ would give zero gradient on the same admissible set and could not represent an arbitrary pressure reaction through that gradient.

For incompressibility use the regular function $F=J-1$, with $J=\det A$. Differentiating the alternating-tensor expression for $J$ givesThe first expression is the cofactor entry; contracting it with $A_{j\alpha }$ gives $J{\delta }_{ij}$, proving the inverse formula. On $J=1$ this yieldsWith this plus-sign convention $q$ is the negative of the usual pressure multiplier.

For an equibiaxially stretched sheet, incompressibility requires the principal stretches $(\lambda ,\lambda ,{\lambda }^{-2})$. The printed sheet expression's ${\lambda }^{-1/2}$ is inconsistent with this constraint and must be ${\lambda }^{-2}$; the balloon expression later on the same PDF page has the correct exponent. Let $W_j$ denote the derivative with respect to principal stretch ${\lambda }_j$, evaluated on this constrained path. With no applied thickness-direction traction,Isotropy gives $W_1=W_2$ at equal in-plane stretches. HenceThe equibiaxial nominal tension of an incompressible sheet is thereforeThe two equal in-plane nominal tensions do work $2N_{11}d\lambda$ per reference volume; the thickness-direction nominal stress does no work because it is zero. That is exactly the constrained energy differential, explaining energy conservation. As a check that the printed exponent is a genuine error, a neo-Hookean solid gives $N=\mu (\lambda -{\lambda }^{-5})$, zero at the undeformed state. The derivative with the erroneous exponent would instead give $3\mu /4$ at that state.

For the thin spherical balloon, use the leading reference shell volume $4\pi a_0^2{h}_0$. Its two tangential stretches are $\lambda =a/a_0$, while its thickness stretch is ${\lambda }^{-2}$ and its current thickness is $h=h_0{\lambda }^{-2}$. Define $\hat{W}(\lambda )=W(\lambda ,\lambda ,{\lambda }^{-2})$. Its total elastic energy at leading thin-shell order isDuring a quasistatic increment $da$, the enclosed volume changes by $d\mathcal{V}=4\pi a^{2}da$, and $d\lambda =da/a_0$. Equating energy change to work of the internal excess pressure givesThis is the inflation pressure of a thin incompressible elastic balloon. The approximation neglects through-thickness variation and curvature corrections beyond leading order, and requires $h/a\ll 1$. It also agrees with membrane force balance: $p=2h{\sigma }_t/a$, ${\sigma }_t=\lambda N$, and $N={\hat{W}}^{\prime }/2$. Here pressure is force per current area, while $N$ is force per reference area; confusing them would lose a factor of $\lambda$.