Continuum mechanics (e.g., hydrodynamics, elasticity theory) is based on the assumption that a small set of fields provides a closed description on large space and time scales. Conditions governing the choice for these fields are discussed in the context of granular fluids and multi-component fluids. In the first case, the relevance of temperature or energy as a hydrodynamic field is justified. For mixtures, the use of a total temperature and single...

Most three dimensional constitutive relations that have been developed to describe the behavior of bodies are correlated against one dimensional and two dimensional experiments. What is usually lost sight of is the fact that infinity of such three dimensional models may be able to explain these experiments that are lower dimensional. Recently, the notion of maximization of the rate of entropy production has been used to obtain constitutive relations based on the choice of the stored energy and rate...

In some previous papers [1, 2] we proposed a geometric formulation of continuum mechanics, where a continuous body is seen as a suitable differentiable fiber bundle C on the Galilean space-time M, beside a differential equation of order k, Ek(C), on C and the assignement of a frame Psi on M. This approach allowed us to treat continuum mechanics as a unitary field theory and to consider constitutive and dynamical properties in a more natural way. Further, the particular intrinsic geometrical framework...

We study a nonlinear Neumann boundary value problem associated to a nonhomogeneous differential operator. Taking into account the competition between the nonlinearity and the bifurcation parameter, we establish sufficient conditions for the existence of nontrivial solutions in a related Orlicz–Sobolev space.

We study numerically the semiclassical limit for the nonlinear Schrödinger equation thanks to a modification of the Madelung transform due to Grenier. This approach allows for the presence of vacuum. Even if the mesh size and the time step do not depend on the Planck constant, we recover the position and current densities in the semiclassical limit, with a numerical rate of convergence in accordance with the theoretical results, before shocks appear in the limiting Euler equation. By using simple...

We study numerically the semiclassical limit for the nonlinear Schrödinger equation thanks to a modification of the Madelung transform due to Grenier. This approach allows for the presence of vacuum. Even if the mesh size and the time step do not depend on the Planck constant, we recover the position and current densities in the semiclassical limit, with a numerical rate of convergence in accordance with the theoretical results, before shocks appear in the limiting Euler equation. By using simple...

We study the boundary value problem $-{\mathrm{d}iv\left(\right(\left|\nabla u\right|}^{p_1\left(x\right)-2}+{\left|\nabla u\right|}^{p_2\left(x\right)-2}\left)\nabla u\right)=f(x,u)$ in $\Omega$, $u=0$ on $\partial \Omega$, where $\Omega$ is a smooth bounded domain in ${ℝ}^N$. Our attention is focused on two cases when $f(x,u)=\pm (-\lambda |u{|}^{m\left(x\right)-2}u+\left|u{|}^{q\left(x\right)-2}u\right)$, where $m\left(x\right)=max\{p_1\left(x\right),p_2\left(x\right)\}$ for any $x\in \overline{\Omega }$ or $m\left(x\right)<q\left(x\right)<\frac{N·m\left(x\right)}{(N-m(x\left)\right)}$ for any $x\in \overline{\Omega }$. In the former case we show the existence of infinitely many weak solutions for any $\lambda >0$. In the latter we prove that if $\lambda$ is large enough then there exists a nontrivial weak solution. Our approach relies on the variable exponent theory of generalized Lebesgue-Sobolev spaces, combined with a ${\mathbb{Z}}_2$-symmetric version for even functionals...

In classical constitutive models such as the Navier-Stokes fluid model, and the Hookean or neo-Hookean solid models, the stress is given explicitly in terms of kinematical quantities. Models for viscoelastic and inelastic responses on the other hand are usually implicit relationships between the stress and the kinematical quantities. Another class of problems wherein it would be natural to develop implicit constitutive theories, though seldom resorted to, are models for bodies that are constrained....

The first part reviews some recent ideas and L¹-existence results for non-linear stationary equations of Boltzmann type in a bounded domain in ℝⁿ and far from global Maxwellian equilibrium. That is an area not covered by the DiPerna and P. L. Lions methods for the time-dependent Boltzmann equation from the late 1980-ies. The final part discusses the more classical perturbative case close to global equilibrium and corresponding small mean free path limits of fully non-linear stationary problems....