Mathematical Conversations
Noninterpenetration of Matter and the Lavrentiev Phenomenon
I will describe a simply stated and longstanding open problem connected to the invertibility of deformations in nonliear elasticity, and how attempts to solve it led to surprising one-dimensional examples of $1D$ problems of the calculus of variations exhibiting the Lavrentiev phenomenon (whereby the infimum of the integral depends on the function space). A simpler and partially solved related problem concerning liquid crystals will also be briefly discussed.
Date & Time
April 15, 2026 | 6:00pm – 8:00pm
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04/15/2026 18:00
04/15/2026 20:00
Mathematical Conversations
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Topic: Noninterpenetration of Matter and the Lavrentiev Phenomenon
Speakers: John Ball, Institute for Advanced Study
More: https://www.ias.edu/math/events/mathematical-conversations-317
I will describe a simply stated and longstanding open problem
connected to the invertibility of deformations in nonliear elasticity,
and how attempts to solve it led to surprising one-dimensional
examples of $1D$ problems of the calculus of variations exhibiting the
Lavrentiev phenomenon (whereby the infimum of the integral depends on
the function space). A simpler and partially solved related problem
concerning liquid crystals will also be briefly discussed.
Simons Hall Dilworth Room
a7a99c3d46944b65a08073518d638c23
Location
Simons Hall Dilworth RoomSpeakers
John Ball, Institute for Advanced Study