In these lectures we summarize certain results on models in statistical physics and quantum field theory and especially emphasize the deep relation­ ship between these subjects. From a physical point of view, we study phase transitions of realistic systems; from a more mathematical point of view, we describe field theoretical models defined on a euclidean space-time lattice, for which the lattice constant serves as a cutoff. The connection between these two approaches is obtained by identifying partition functions for spin models with discretized functional integrals. After an introduction to critical phenomena, we present methods which prove the existence or nonexistence of phase transitions for the Ising and Heisenberg models in various dimensions. As an example of a solvable system we discuss the two-dimensional Ising model. Topological excitations determine sectors of field theoretical models. In order to illustrate this, we first discuss soliton solutions of completely integrable classical models. Afterwards we dis­ cuss sectors for the external field problem and for the Schwinger model. Then we put gauge models on a lattice, give a survey of some rigorous results and discuss the phase structure of some lattice gauge models. Since great interest has recently been shown in string models, we give a short introduction to both the classical mechanics of strings and the bosonic and fermionic models. The formulation of the continuum limit for lattice systems leads to a discussion of the renormalization group, which we apply to various models.

Availability of advanced computational technology has fundamentally altered the investigative paradigm in the field of biomechanics. Armed with sophisticated computational tools, researchers are seeking answers to fundamental questions by exploring complex biomechanical phenomena at the molecular, cellular, tissue and organ levels. The computational armamentarium includes such diverse tools as the ab initio quantum mechanical and molecular dynamics methods at the atomistic scales and the finite element, boundary element, meshfree as well as immersed boundary and lattice-Boltzmann methods at the continuum scales. Multiscale methods that link various scales are also being developed. While most applications require forward analysis, e.g., finding deformations and stresses as a result of loading, others involve determination of constitutive parameters based on tissue imaging and inverse analysis. This book provides a glimpse of the diverse and important roles that modern computational technology is playing in various areas of biomechanics including biofluids and mass transfer, cardiovascular mechanics, musculoskeletal mechanics, soft tissue mechanics, and biomolecular mechanics.

Modern computational techniques, such as the Finite Element Method, have, since their development several decades ago, successfully exploited continuum theories for numerous applications in science and technology. Although standard continuum methods based upon the Cauchy-Boltzmann continuum are still of great importance and are widely used, it increasingly appears that material properties stemming from microstructural phenomena have to be considered. This is particularly true for inhomogeneous load and deformation states, where lower-scale size effects begin to affect the macroscopic material response; something standard continuum theories fail to account for. Following this idea, it is evident that standard continuum mechanics has to be augmented to capture lower-scale structural and compositional phenomena, and to make this information accessible to macroscopic numerical simulations.

Nonlinear Continuum Mechanics is a rapidly growing field of research. Since the last edition of this book, many important results in this field have been published. This new edition refers to the most important results.

The book presents the underlying theories of the different approaches for modeling cracking of concrete and provides a critical survey of the state-of-the-art in computational concrete mechanics. It covers a broad spectrum of topics related to modeling of cracks, including continuum-based and discrete crack models, meso-scale models, advanced discretization strategies to capture evolving cracks based on the concept of finite elements with embedded discontinuities and on the extended finite element method, and extensions to coupled problems such a hygro-mechanical problems as required in computational durability analyses of concrete structures.

There is a large gap between the engineering course in tensor algebra on the one hand and the treatment of linear transformations within classical linear algebra on the other hand. The aim of this modern textbook is to bridge this gap by means of the consequent and fundamental exposition. The book primarily addresses engineering students with some initial knowledge of matrix algebra.

This book contains a collection of papers that were presented at the IUTAM Symposium
on “Computer Models in Biomechanics: From Nano to Macro” held at Stanford University, California, USA, from August 29 to September 2, 2011.

The origin of this book lies in a time before one of the authors (J. O'M. B.) left the University of Pennsylvania bound for the Flinders University. His collaboration with Dennis Matthews at the University of Pennsylvania had contributed a singular experimental datum to the quantum theory of elec­ trode processes: the variation of the separation factor with potential, which could only be interpreted in terms of a quantum theory of electrode kinetics. The authors came together as a result of grad~ate work of one of them (S. U. M. K.) on the quantum mechanics and photo aspects of elec­ trode processes, and this book was written during a postdoctoral fellowship held by him at the Flinders University. Having stated the book's origin, it is worthwhile stating the rational­ izations the authors had for writing it. Historically, quantization in elec­ trochemistry began very early (1931) in the applications of the quantum theory to chemistry. (See the historical table on pages xviii-xix.) There was thereafter a cessation of work on the quantum theory in electrochemistry until a continuum dielectric viewpoint, based on Born's equation for solvation energy, began to be developed in the 1950s and snowballed during the 1960s.

Fluid mechanics (FM) is a branch of science dealing with the investi­ gation of flows of continua under the action of external forces. The fundamentals of FM were laid in the works of the famous scientists, such as L. Euler, M. V. Lomonosov, D. Bernoulli, J. L. Lagrange, A. Cauchy, L. Navier, S. D. Poisson, and other classics of science. Fluid mechanics underwent a rapid development during the past two centuries, and it now includes, along with the above branches, aerodynamics, hydrodynamics, rarefied gas dynamics, mechanics of multi phase and reactive media, etc. The FM application domains were expanded, and new investigation methods were developed. Certain concepts introduced by the classics of science, however, are still of primary importance and will apparently be of importance in the future. The Lagrangian and Eulerian descriptions of a continuum, tensors of strains and stresses, conservation laws for mass, momentum, moment of momentum, and energy are the examples of such concepts and results. This list should be augmented by the first and second laws of thermodynamics, which determine the character and direction of processes at a given point of a continuum. The availability of the conservation laws is conditioned by the homogeneity and isotrop­ icity properties of the Euclidean space, and the form of these laws is related to the Newton's laws. The laws of thermodynamics have their foundation in the statistical physics.

Introduction to Linear Elasticity, 3rd Edition provides an applications-oriented grounding in the tensor-based theory of elasticity for students in mechanical, civil, aeronautical, biomedical engineering, as well as materials and earth science. The book is distinct from the traditional text aimed at graduate students in solid mechanics by introducing its subject at a level appropriate for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students. The author's presentation allows students to apply the basic notions of stress analysis and move on to advanced work in continuum mechanics, plasticity, plate and shell theory, composite materials, and finite method analysis.

This book primarily concerns quasilinear and semilinear elliptic and parabolic partial differential equations, inequalities, and systems. The exposition leads the reader through the general theory based on abstract (pseudo-) monotone or accretive operators as fast as possible towards the analysis of concrete differential equations, which have specific applications in continuum (thermo-) mechanics of solids and fluids, electrically (semi-) conductive media, modelling of biological systems, or in mechanical engineering. Selected parts are mainly an introduction into the subject while some others form an advanced textbook.

Continuum Mechanics of Anisotropic Materials(CMAM) presents an entirely new and unique development of material anisotropy in the context of an appropriate selection and organization of continuum mechanics topics. These features will distinguish this continuum mechanics book from other books on this subject. Textbooks on continuum mechanics are widely employed in engineering education, however, none of them deal specifically with anisotropy in materials. For the audience of Biomedical, Chemical and Civil Engineering students, these materials will be dealt with more frequently and greater accuracy in their analysis will be desired. Continuum Mechanics of Anisotropic Materials' author has been a leader in the field of developing new approaches for the understanding of anisotropic materials.