Given a measurable set $A\subset {ℝ}^n$ of positive measure, it is not difficult to show that $|A+A|=\left|2A\right|$ if and only if $A$ is equal to its convex hull minus a set of measure zero. We investigate the stability of this statement: If $\left(\right|A+A|-|2A\left|\right)/\left|A\right|$ is small, is $A$ close to its convex hull? Our main result is an explicit control, in arbitrary dimension, on the measure of the difference between $A$ and its convex hull in terms of $\left(\right|A+A|-|2A\left|\right)/\left|A\right|$.

A new approach to irreversible quasistatic fracture growth is given, by means of Young measures. The study concerns a cohesive zone model with prescribed crack path, when the material gives different responses to loading and unloading phases. In the particular situation of constant unloading response, the result contained in [G. Dal Maso and C. Zanini, Proc. Roy. Soc. Edinburgh Sect. A 137 (2007) 253–279] is recovered. In this case, the convergence of the discrete time approximations is improved....

A new approach to irreversible quasistatic fracture growth is given, by means of Young measures. The study concerns a cohesive zone model with prescribed crack path, when the material gives different responses to loading and unloading phases. In the particular situation of constant unloading response, the result contained in [G. Dal Maso and C. Zanini, Proc. Roy. Soc. Edinburgh Sect. A137 (2007) 253–279] is recovered. In this case, the convergence of the discrete time approximations is improved. ...