Optimal location of a rigid inclusion in equilibrium problems for inhomogeneous Kirchhoff–Love plates with a crack

Abstract

A non-linear model describing the equilibrium of a cracked plate with a volume rigid inclusion is studied. We consider a variational statement for the Kirchhoff–Love plate satisfying the Signorini-type non-penetration condition on the crack faces. For a family of problems, we study the dependence of their solutions on the location of the inclusion. We formulate an optimal control problem with a cost functional defined by an arbitrary continuous functional on a suitable Sobolev space. For this problem, the location parameter of the inclusion serves as a control parameter. We prove continuous dependence of the solutions with respect to the location parameter and the existence of a solution of the optimal control problem.