Product Description: Nonsmooth energy functions govern phenomena which occur frequently in nature and in all areas of life. They constitute a fascinating subject in mathematics and permit the rational understanding of yet unsolved or partially solved questions in mechanics, engineering and economics...read more

Inverse and crack identification problems are of paramount importance for health monitoring and quality control purposes arising in critical applications in civil, aeronautical, nuclear, and general mechanical engineering. Mathematical modeling and the numerical study of these problems require high competence in computational mechanics and applied optimization. This is the first monograph which provides the reader with all the necessary information. Delicate computational mechanics modeling, including nonsmooth unilateral contact effects, is done using boundary element techniques, which have a certain advantage for the construction of parametrized mechanical models. Both elastostatic and harmonic or transient dynamic problems are considered. The inverse problems are formulated as output error minimization problems and they are theoretically studied as a bilevel optimization problem, also known as a mathematical problem with equilibrium constraints. Beyond classical numerical optimization, soft computing tools (neural networks and genetic algorithms) and filter algorithms are used for the numerical solution. The book provides all the required material for the mathematical and numerical modeling of crack identification testing procedures in statics and dynamics and includes several thoroughly discussed applications, for example, the impact-echo nondestructive evaluation technique. Audience: The book will be of interest to structural and mechanical engineers involved in nondestructive testing and quality control projects as well as to research engineers and applied mathematicians who study and solve related inverse problems. People working on applied optimization and soft computing will find interesting problems to apply to their methods and all necessary material to continue research in this field.

Nonconvexity and nonsmoothness arise in a large class of engineering applica­ tions. In many cases of practical importance the possibilities offered by opti­ mization with its algorithms and heuristics can substantially improve the per­ formance and the range of applicability of classical computational mechanics algorithms. For a class of problems this approach is the only one that really works. The present book presents in a comprehensive way the application of opti­ mization algorithms and heuristics in smooth and nonsmooth mechanics. The necessity of this approach is presented to the reader through simple, represen­ tative examples. As things become more complex, the necessary material from convex and nonconvex optimization and from mechanics are introduced in a self-contained way. Unilateral contact and friction problems, adhesive contact and delamination problems, nonconvex elastoplasticity, fractal friction laws, frames with semi­ rigid connections, are among the applications which are treated in details here. Working algorithms are given for each application and are demonstrated by means of representative examples. The interested reader will find helpful references to up-to-date scientific and technical literature so that to be able to work on research or engineering topics which are not directly covered here.

Contact mechanics is an active research area with deep theoretical and numerical roots. The links between nonsmooth analysis and optimization with mechanics have been investigated intensively during the last decades, especially in Europe. The study of complementarity problems, variational -, quasivariational- and hemivariational inequalities arising in contact mechanics and beyond is a hot topic for interdisciplinary research and cooperation. The needs of industry for robust solution algorithms suitable for large scale applications and the regular updates of the respective elements in major commercial computational mechanics codes, demonstrate that this interaction is not restricted to the academic environment. The contributions of this book have been selected from the participants of the CMIS 2009 international conference which took place in Crete and continued a successful series of specialized contact mechanics conferences.

Product Description: Nonsmooth and nonconvex models arise in several important applications of mechanics and engineering. The interest in this field is growing from both mathematicians and engineers. The study of numerous industrial applications, including contact phenomena in statics and dynamics or delamination effects in composites, require the consideration of nonsmoothness and nonconvexity...read more

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Product Description: This volume gathers articles presented at a prominent European conference on smart systems and summarizes the activities carried out by a research and training network supported by the European community. The contributions aim to exhibit new research topics in the areas of materials science, advanced mathematical tools, and elements of control and numerical algorithms relevant to the design and optimization of smart systems...read more