Mathematics of Fracture: From Ancient Tools to Modern Materials
Prof. Debdeep Bhattacharya, Grinnell College
Abstract: Early humans built stone tools by breaking rocks. Cracks in polar ice caps affect the global climate. From the Japanese art of Kintsugi to planned obsolescence of household appliances, human effort to prevent, repair, induce, and exploit fracture has shaped our world. Mathematically, fracture is characterized by discontinuity in the deformation field of a material, hence modeling fracture with classical differential equations is challenging. In this talk, we will focus on a nonlocal mesoscale model for solids, known as peridynamics, which has been successful in predicting crack initiation and propagation autonomously. Theory and numerical methods for fast (dynamic) and slow (quasistatic) fracture will be discussed.
Tea and refreshments available from 3:00-3:25 p.m. in the Assmus Conference Room (CU 212).
