Grioli's theorem with weights and the relaxed-polar mechanism of optimal Cosserat rotations (Q2408733)

Summary: Let \(F \in \mathrm{GL}^+(3)\) and consider the right polar decomposition \(F = \mathrm {R}_{\mathrm p} (F) \cdot U\) into an orthogonal factor \(\mathrm {R}_{\mathrm p} (F) \in \mathrm {SO}(3)\) and a symmetric, positive definite factor \(U = \sqrt{F^TF} \in \mathrm {Psym}(3)\). In [Boll. Unione Mat. Ital., II. Ser. 2, 452--455 (1940; Zbl 0024.22704)], \textit{G. Grioli} proved that \[ \mathop {\mathrm{arg}\min}\limits_{R \in \mathrm{SO}(3)} \| R^TF - \mathbf 1 \|^2 = \{R_p(F)\} = \mathop {\mathrm{arg}\min}\limits_{R \in \mathrm{SO}(3)} \| F - R\|^2. \] This variational characterization of the orthogonal factor \(\mathrm R_{\mathrm p}(F) \in \mathrm {SO}(n)\) holds in any dimension \(n \geq 2\) (a result due to \textit{L. C. Martins} and \textit{P. Podio-Guidugli} [Am. Math. Mon. 87, 288--290 (1980; Zbl 0431.15010)]). In a similar spirit, we characterize the optimal rotations \[ \mathrm {rpolar}_{\mu,\mu_c}(F) := \mathop {\mathrm{arg} \min}\limits_{R \in \mathrm{SO}(n)} \{ \mu \|\mathrm{sym}(R^TF - \mathbf 1)\|^2 + \mu_c\| \mathrm{skew}(R^TF -\mathbf 1)\|^2\} \] for given weights \(\mu > 0\) and \(\mu_c \geq 0\). We identify a classical parameter range \(\mu_c \geq \mu > 0\) for which Grioli's theorem is recovered and a non-classical parameter range \(\mu > \mu_c \geq 0\) giving rise to a new type of globally energy-minimizing rotations which can substantially deviate from \(\mathrm R_{\mathrm p}(F)\). In mechanics, the weighted energy subject to minimization appears as the shear-stretch contribution in any geometrically nonlinear, quadratic, and isotropic Cosserat theory.