Alexander Mielke – författare

This monograph provides both an introduction to and a thorough exposition of the theory of rate-independent systems, which the authors have been working on with a lot of collaborators over 15 years. The focus is mostly on fully rate-independent systems, first on an abstract level either with or even without a linear structure, discussing various concepts of solutions with full mathematical rigor. Then, usefulness of the abstract concepts is demonstrated on the level of various applications primarily in continuum mechanics of solids, including suitable approximation strategies with guaranteed numerical stability and convergence. Particular applications concern inelastic processes such as plasticity, damage, phase transformations, or adhesive-type contacts both at small strains and at finite strains. A few other physical systems, e.g. magnetic or ferroelectric materials, and couplings to rate-dependent thermodynamic models are considered as well. Selected applications are accompaniedby numerical simulations illustrating both the models and the efficiency of computational algorithms.

 In this book, the mathematical framework for a rigorous mathematical treatment of "rate-independent systems" is presented in a comprehensive form for the first time. Researchers and graduate students in applied mathematics, engineering, and computational physics will find this timely and well written book useful.

Understanding the interaction between various processes is a pre-requisite for solving problems in natural and engineering sciences. Many phenomena can not be described by concentrating on them in isolation - therefore multifield models and concepts that include various kinds of field problems and processes are needed. This book summarizes the main scientific results of the Collaborative Research Center on Multifield Problems in Continuum Mechanics (Sonderforschungsbereich Mehrfeldprobleme in der Kontinuumsmechanik, SFB 404) funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) from 1995-2006. The book is divided into three main sections: A: Volume-Coupled Problems, devoted to fields which are coupled inside the processing domain or volume, B: Boundary-Coupled Problems, here physical fields and processes are coupled via domain boundaries, C: Fundamental Methods, search into the mathematical concepts and backgrounds of multifield and multiscale modeling.

This book reports recent mathematical developments in the Programme "Analysis, Modeling and Simulation of Multiscale Problems", which started as a German research initiative in 2006. Multiscale problems occur in many fields of science, such as microstructures in materials, sharp-interface models, many-particle systems and motions on different spatial and temporal scales in quantum mechanics or in molecular dynamics. The book presents current mathematical foundations of modeling, and proposes efficient numerical treatment.