Some extremum properties of finite-step solutions in elastoplasticity (Q1302989)

For the nonholonomic elasto-plastic problem under a given external loading history over a time interval, the authors give an extremal solution over the whole interval. The assumed elasto-plastic behaviour is of associated type, with piecewise-linearized yield surface and with linear hardening. When the loading history is reduced to an infinitesimal increment of the external action (incremental problem) or when the material behaviour is of holonomic type (finite holonomic step problem), the variational functional can be split into the sum of two simpler functionals whose minimum gives the solution of the problem under less constrictive requirements than for the original problem.