11.05.2026

Speaker: Ba Duc Duong     Title:  An approximation scheme for a variational theory of quasi-static crack growth

Abstract:   In this talk, I present an approximation scheme for a variational theory of quasi-static crack growth based on an eigendeformation approach. We consider a family of energy functionals depending on a small parameter ε and on two fields, the displacement field and an eigendeformation field that approximates the crack in the material. By imposing a suitable irreversibility condition and adopting an incremental minimization scheme, we define a notion of quasi-static evolution for this model. We then show that, as ε → 0, these evolutions converge to a quasi-static crack evolution for the Griffith energy of brittle fracture, characterized by irreversibility, global stability, and an energy balance. This is joint work with Manuel Friedrich.