Variational approach to contact problems in nonlinear elasticity. (Q1396202)

The paper under review deals with some variational problems arising from 3-dimensional nonlinear elasticity, where the definition of the elastic body is restricted by a rigid obstacle. The total energy of the body deformed by the map \(u :\Omega-\mathbb{R}^3\) is given by \[ E(u) = \int_\Omega W(x,Du)\,dx -\langle f,u\rangle, \] where \(W\) is the stored energy density function and \(f\) represents the action of all external forces. Dirichlet boundary conditions on some part \(\Gamma_D\) of \(\partial\Omega\) are prescribed by imposing \[ u = u_D\quad \text{on }\Gamma_D. \] Finally, the presence of a rigid obstacle \(O\) is described by requiring that \[ u(x)\in\overline {\mathbb{R}^3\setminus O} \quad\text{for all }x\in\Omega. \] The variational problem is then \[ \min\{E(u) : u W^{1,p}(\Omega,\mathbb{R}^3),\;u = u_D \text{ on }\Gamma_D,\;u(x)\in \overline {\mathbb{R}^3\setminus O}\}. \] Under suitable assumptions on the data it is shown that an optimal solution exists. Moreover, the Euler-Lagrange equation is studied, and a rigorous interpretation of Lagrange multipliers is given.