Sharp conditions for the linearization of finite elasticity (Q2048879)

The paper deals with a long-standing problem from the theory of elasticity, namely the relation between finite and infinitesimal problems. Such a topics, first proposed and studied by Signorini's Italian school in the twenties of the XX century, has obtained a renewed attention in the last decades. The novelty of these approaches relies in the use of modern tools like gamma-convergence and related techniques. Here the authors further improve results previously obtained by them and co-workers by furnishing strict compatibility conditions on the work functional of the external load system: the relevant cases of both incompressible and compressible elastic materials are studied and analyzed in details. As in the case of other works which employ gamma-convergence as the main technical instrument, besides an initial detailed description of the results and a clear exposition of the problem, the paper has a lengthy technical part that can be commanded only by researchers well acquainted with the matter. Nevertheless, the clear exposition of the recipes and of the results make the paper alluring for anyone interested in the specific argument.