This work explores the variable curvature mirror's (VCM) elastic bending rules through modeling it as a thin elastic plate with an exponential thickness distribution actuated with a uniform pressure under simply supported boundary conditions. By using the small-parameter method, the general analytical expression of a plate's deflection is worked out. The results calculated by the analytical solution are compared to the finite element analysis of a VCM model with the same specific parameters. We demonstrate that the two have a good correlation with the each other. This analytical solution is an effective way to predict a VCM's deflection. (C) 2019 Optical Society of America