Non-local approximation of the Griffith functional (Q2657273)

A variational approximation by means of non-local integral energies of functionals is considered. The functionals appear in the framework of Griffith's theory of brittle fracture under the small strain assumption. Approximations are in the sense of \(\Gamma\)-convergence in any dimension \(d\geq 1\) by means of a sequence of nonlocal integral functionals depending on the average of the symmetrized gradients on small balls. The paper is well organized in six sections. The main results are interesting and their proofs are complete.