Summary

The new Functional Analytic Approach (FAA) was recently developed by Dr M. Dalla Riva, Prof. M. Lanza de Cristoforis and the proposer of this project, Dr P. Musolino, to tackle problems in bounded domains with small holes or inclusions. Problems of this kind widely appear in applications and are usually investigated with the traditional techniques of Asymptotic Analysis (AA). The FAA is very different and in a sense even complementary to AA as it allows answering questions extremely difficult within the latter approach. The FAA has already proved its efficiency allowing to obtain innovative results on the asymptotic behaviour of solutions to nonlinear BVPs in bounded domains.

This project will extend the FAA to solve problems for nonlinear processes in periodic domains with small holes and inclusions. This, in turn, will allow one to analyse properties of complex processes happening within composite and porous materials and to use them in applications in advanced engineering, biology, biomechanics, nanoscience, and geophysics. Note that the computational analysis of the structures consisting of components with very different lengths or dimensions (which appears in advanced composite materials, meta-materials, biological fluids, cellular lattices, and so on) often leads to numerical inaccuracy and instability. Evaluation of average properties of such materials and processes constitutes another challenge. (It is enough to mention here that validity of the Hashin-Shtrikman bounds is questionable for nonlinear homogenisation). The Fellow will exploit the benefits of FAA to tackle among others those challenging open problems. Moreover, with studies of periodic composites and the flow in porous materials, the Fellow’s research will be aligned with the Science for Wales Grand Challenge area ‘Advanced engineering and materials’ and with the Low Carbon, Energy and Environment Research Cluster. As a pure mathematician, Dr. Musolino will bring his expertise for applied mathematics and engineering sciences.

Participating in this COFUND action, he will expand his knowledge in mathematical modeling of processes in composite and porous materials. He will gain new research skills from interaction with applied mathematicians, engineers, geophysicist, glaciologists and other scientists with different background and will widen his collaboration networks in Wales, as well as in the UK and in Europe. The Fellow will enhance his creative and innovative potential, will diversify his competences and acquire new skills, for example in teaching and project management. Dr. Musolino will be engaged in outreach activities of Aberystwyth University and of GEO-CARB-CYMRU, and will communicate the importance of science and his personal experience with meetings, lectures and on the web.