Remarks on the continuity of the scalar coefficients in the representation \(H(A)=\alpha I+\beta A+\gamma A^ 2\) for isotropic tensor functions (Q1341760)

Let \(\text{Sym}\) be the set of symmetric second-order tensors in three- dimensional space and \(\mathcal D\) be an open subset of \(\text{Sym}\) such that if \(A \in {\mathcal D}\), then \(QAQ^ \top \in {\mathcal D}\) for each orthogonal tensor \(Q\). It is well known that an isotropic function \(H : {\mathcal D} \to \text{Sym}\) has a representation of the form \(H(A) = \alpha I + \beta A + \gamma A^ 2\), where \(I\) is the identity tensor and the scalar coefficients \(\alpha, \beta\) and \(\gamma\) are symmetric functions of the eigenvalues \(\lambda_ 1,\lambda_ 2\) and \(\lambda_ 3\) of \(A\). The coefficients \(\alpha,\beta\) and \(\gamma\) are uniquely determined by \(H(A)\) when the eigenvalues of \(A\) are distinct and they inherit the continuity and differentiability properties of the function \(A(\cdot)\) as long as the eigenvalues of \(A\) are distinct. \textit{J. Serrin} [J. Math. Mech. 8, 459-469 (1959; Zbl 0089.186)] proved that the above mentioned functions \(\alpha, \beta\) and \(\gamma\) can be extended by continuity to allow for coalescence of the eigenvalues \(\lambda_ i\) if the function \(H(\cdot)\) is of class \(C^ 3\). Under the weaker condition that \(H(\cdot)\) be of class \(C^ 1\), Serrin showed that each of the coefficient functions tends to a definite limit as \((\lambda_ 1, \lambda_ 2,\lambda_ 3)\) approaches a point of double coalescence. He appealed to the condition that \(H(\cdot)\) be of class \(C^ 3\) for the case where \((\lambda_ 1,\lambda_ 2,\lambda_ 3)\) tends to a point of triple coalescence. Serrin gave an outline of his proof in the appendix of his paper. In the present paper the author finds a new proof of Serrin's result, moreover he shows that sufficient conditions of the smoothness of \(H(\cdot)\) can be weakened: the scalar coefficients \(\alpha, \beta\) and \(\gamma\) may be chosen to be continuous symmetric functions of \((\lambda_ 1,\lambda_ 2,\lambda_ 3)\) if \(H(\cdot)\) is of class \(C^ 2\).