Reconciliation of local and global symmetries of crystals (Q796322)

This very interesting and nicely written paper is an important contribution to the understanding of the symmetry properties of crystals which suffer phase transitions and twinning. In fact, by proving a theorem the author here reconciliates the classical local viewpoint of material symmetry (the one considering a finite subgroup of the orthogonal group) and \textit{J. L. Ericksen's} [Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 73, 99-124 (1980; Zbl 0429.73007)] global viewpoint (infinite, discrete, non-compact invariance group for the thermodynamical potential of a thermoelastic solid). An existence theorem for the ''least domains'' introduced by \textit{G. P. Parry} in recent studies of elastic monoatomic crystals is also proven [Math. Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 80, 189-211 (1976; Zbl 0332.73098)]. The paper is mathematical in style and contents and not always easy reading for nonspecialists of crystallography.