Abstract
A general method of placing optimal bounds on the overall conductivity of random heterogeneous media is proposed. It utilizes truncated Volterra-Wiener functional series, generated by the random conductivity field K(x), as classes of trial functions for the classical variational principles. The method simplifies, unifies and/or generalizes the earlier proposed variational techniques of Beran (3), Dederichs and Zeller (10), Hori (15), Kr6ner (17) and Prager (25). The general procedure is displayed in detail in the simplest case of interest, the construction of the optimal third-order bounds, that requires knowledge of the two- and three-point correlation functions for K(x). The evaluation of these bounds is reduced to the solution of an integrodifferential equation whose coefficients and kernels are expressed through the said correlation functions. A perturbation solution to this equation is given. For Miller's cell materials the equation is explicitly solved and the obtained optimal bounds are shown to coincide with those of Beran-Miller.
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