On the relation between extremal elasticity tensors with orthotropic symmetry and extremal polynomials (Q512177)

In elasticity, an extremal is a quadratic quasiconvex form for which one cannot subtract a rank-one form from it while preserving the quasiconvexity of the form. In this context one defines extremal elasticity tensors. Rank-one convexity of the corresponding quadratic form is equivalent to its acoustic tensor being positive semi-definite, which ensures real-valued wave speeds. In this article the authors prove that an elasticity tensor with orthotropic symmetry is extremal if the determinant of its acoustic tensor is an extremal polynomial that is not a perfect square. Extremals are interesting, for example, when bounding, using the translation method, the elastic energy in a multiphase periodic composite with known volume fractions of the phases.