Finite element method for hemivariational inequalities. Theory, methods and applications (Q1964590)

This book is mainly dedicated to the theoretical study, to the Galerkin approximation and to some mechanical illustrative examples of a large class of problems in physics which can be stated as follows \[ \begin{cases} \text{Find }u\in V\text{ such that}\\ f-Au\in B(u)\text{ in }V^*,\end{cases} \] where \(V^*\) is the dual space of a Banach space \(V\), \(f\in V^*\) is given, \(A: V\to V^*\) is a single-valued mapping while \(B: V\to V^*\) is generally a nonmonotone (the new difficulty and main originality of this book) multivalued one. Such a class of problems leads to hemivariational inequalities according to a terminology introduced by the late Pr. P. D. Panagiotopoulos. Their study uses the most recent tools in nonconvex and nonsmooth analysis, particularly for convenient extensions of differentiability properties. The contents of this selfcontained book can be summarized as follows. The introduction gives a very simple example which leads to a hemivariational inequality: it concerns a beam which is clamped at one extremity and supported by a nonlinear spring at the other one. Chapter one contains the mathematical preliminaries which are necessary to master the subsequent developments: functional spaces and their properties, elements of nonsmooth analysis, equations and inequalities with monotone operators and their approximations. Chapter two presents some simple mechanical models the modelization of which is relevant of previous analysis tools: (i) nonlinear elastostatics contact and adhesion problems possibly coupled with functional effects; (ii) nonlinear constitutive laws. Chapters three and four concern the approximation of elliptic and time-dependent hemivariational inequalities. Firstly, the approximation of unconstrained elliptic hemivariational inequalities of scalar type is considered by using finite element methods. The associate studies of convergence are carefully detailed. To solve numerically the associate discrete hemivariational inequality, the technique of substationary points of the corresponding superpotential is used. Finally, the convergence results are extended to constrained and vector-valued hemivariational inequalities. In Chapter 4, the extension to the time dependent case is studied: it includes appropriate finite difference methods for the time discretization and the convergence analysis. Chapter five presents some nonsmooth minimization methods enabling the minimization of locally Lipschitz functions. They allow to use mathematically justified minimization methods with minimum assumptions on minimized functions. This presentation includes the bundle type methods of the first and the second order which are used in Chapter six for the numerical approximation of examples from nonsmooth nonconvex mechanics: i) an elastic structure supported by a foundation assuming nonmonotone multivalued responses on the contact part corresponding to nonmonotone friction and contact conditions; ii) a simple laminated composite structure under loading when the binding material between the laminae obeys a nonmonotone multivalued law. This chapter details the algorithms and includes the corresponding numerical results. In conclusion, this is an impressive and very important book written by very well-known specialists of nonsmooth analysis and numerical analysis. They have intimately associated their knowledges to open very promising new ways in the approximation of nonlinear variational problems. At this point of view, this book constitutes an excellent continuation to the books by \textit{R. Glowinski} [Numerical methods for nonlinear variational problems, Springer-Verlag (1984; Zbl 0536.65054)] and by \textit{I. Hlavacek}, \textit{J. Haslinger}, \textit{J. Nečas} and \textit{J. Lovišek} [Solution of variational inequalities in mechanics, Springer-Verlag (1988; Zbl 0654.73019)]. Beyond its original and powerful contents, the presentation is self-contained and very pleasant to read with an excellent equilibrium between theoretical analysis, approximation methods, numerical algorithms and relevant examples from nonlinear mechanics. With no doubt, this book is really original and fruitful to analyze and to numerically approximate real life problems in industry, specially in mechanics. Its lecture requires a good knowledge of basic results of functional and nonsmooth analysis and of finite element mathematics. A very nice piece of work!