Anholonomic configuration spaces and metric tensors in finite elastoplasticity

Abstract

Deformation mappings are considered that correspond to the motions of lattice defects, elastic stretch and rotation of the lattice, and initial defect distributions. Intermediate (i.e., relaxed) configuration spaces associated with these deformation maps are identified and then classified from the differential-geometric point of view. A fundamental issue is the proper selection of coordinate systems and metric tensors in these configurations when such configurations are classified as anholonomic. The particular choice of a global, external Cartesian coordinate system and corresponding covariant identity tensor as a metric on an intermediate configuration space is shown to be a constitutive assumption often made regardless of the existence of geometrically necessary crystal defects associated with the anholonomicity (i.e., the non-Euclidean nature) of the space. Since the metric tensor on the anholonomic configuration emerges necessarily in the definitions of scalar products, certain transpose maps, tensorial symmetry operations, and Jacobian invariants, its selection should not be trivialized. Several alternative (i.e., non-Euclidean) representations proposed in the literature for the metric tensor on anholonomic spaces are critically examined.