Group interpretation of coupling phenomena (Q5946958)

The author looks for a unique geometrical framework of the tensor fields appearing in a macroscopic description of elasticity, heat (thermostatic and thermodynamics) and electromagnetism. In each of these three domains there are constitutive equations between tensor fields (describing intensive quantities) and tensor density fields (for the corresponding extensive quantities). Typical examples are the Hooke law (between stress and deformation), the Fourier law (between temperature and heat flux) and the Minkowski law (between \(E,B\) and \(D,H\) in a relativistic formulation). According to the author, the existence of the common geometrical frame is ensured by the coupling phenomena observed: thermo-elasticity (elasticity/heat), piezo-electricity and photo-elasticity (elasticity/electromagnetism) and thermoelectricity (heat/electromagnetism). The aim of the paper is to give a group theoretical basis for the systems of partial differential equations expressing these various coupling phenomena. The group adopted is a gauged version of the conformal group \(G\) of space-time. The 15 parameters of this Lie group correspond to the number of the potentials occuring: 10 in a relativistic formulation of elasticity (4 translations and 6 rotations), 1 in heat (the absolute temperature) and 4 in electromagnetism (the components of the four-potential). The mathematical approach involves several steps. The Lie group \(G\) is first gauged on a manifold \(X\), by replacing each constant parameter of the group by a function, which gives the various potentials. One then constructs from the functions and their first derivatives differential invariants. From the action of \(G\) on \(X\), making use of the image of the Spencer operator and its adjoint for the Killing equations [\textit{A. Kumpera} and \textit{D. Spencer}, Ann. Math. Studies 73, Princeton University Press (1972; Zbl 0258.58015)] and the variational calculus, one eventually arrives at the desired goal. The whole is presented in a historical perspective.