Configurational Forces

Gérard A. Maugin is a distinguished professor and research director of the Institut Jean Le Rond d’Alembert at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie and CNRS. He has taught at numerous universities around the world and has been involved in research projects with organizations such as the French Ministry of National Defense, US National Science Foundation, US Army Research Office, US Office of Naval Research, National Research Council of Canada, NATO, the European Community, and I.A.E.A-UNESCO. A member of many scientific societies, Dr. Maugin has received several awards throughout his career, including the Max Planck Research Award for Engineering Sciences given by the Max Planck Society and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

• Introduction. Standard Continuum Mechanics. Eshelbian Mechanics for Elastic Bodies. Field Theory. Canonical Thermomechanics of Complex Continua. Local Structural Rearrangements of Matter and Eshelby Stress. Discontinuities and Eshelby Stresses. Singularities and Eshelby Stresses. Generalized Continua. Systems with Mass Changes and/or Diffusion. Electromagnetic Materials. Application to Nonlinear Waves. Numerical Applications. More on Eshelby-Like Problems and Solutions. Bibliography. Index.

"… an excellent introduction into this wide branch of mechanics, and, at the same time, it provides scientists already involved in the field extended references to specific aspects of Eshelbian mechanics. On an equal level, the thermomechanics, physics, mathematics and numerics of configurational forces are covered. Starting with elastic bodies, the theory is extended step-by-step to complex and generalized continua. Discontinuities of various kinds, fracture, moving interfaces, wave motion, etc., are treated, and elastic, elastoplastic, elastomagnetic and thermoelastic materials are discussed. The huge amount of material is arranged in a clear and rigorous manner. This is a book of a master in his field."— Reinhold Kienzler (Bremen), Zentralblatt MATHThe book is indeed written by a true master of his field and is thus great fun to read and to study. It is of interest not only for specialists in configurational forces but for all those who are concerned with the broad field of continuum modeling. It is for example amazing to see how apparently dissimilar fields such as e1ectro-magneto-mechanics and biological growth or nonlinear waves are connected by the underlying and thus unifying concept of configurational forces. The book is extremely rich in detail and depth; at the same time it will be helpful for the beginner and the expert alike. In summary I assess that this is one of the few books that should be on the bookshelf of any researcher in mechanics and/or applied mathematics. — MATHEMATICAL REVIEWS