This book introduces the reader to important concepts in modern applied analysis, such as homogenization, gradient flows on metric spaces, geometric evolution, Gamma-convergence tools, applications of geometric measure theory, properties of interfacial energies, etc. This is done by tackling a prototypical problem of interfacial evolution in heterogeneous media, where these concepts are introduced and elaborated in a natural and constructive way. At the same time, the analysis introduces open issues of a general and fundamental nature, at the core of important applications. The focus on two-dimensional lattices as a prototype of heterogeneous media allows visual descriptions of concepts and methods through a large amount of illustrations.

Introduces important concepts in modern Applied Analysis through prototypical problems, discussed in a natural way Advanced research topics are introduced in a stimulating and constructive fashion Copious figures promote visual descriptions of concepts and methods

Autorentext
Roberto Alicandro is professor of Mathematical Analysis at Università di Cassino e del Lazio meridionale. He is an expert in the Calculus of Variations and Homogenization and his results have applications in different fields, including atomistic-to-continuum limits for nonlinear models in material science, phase transition problems, topological singularities and defects in materials. He is the author of a monograph on Discrete Variational Problems with Andrea Braides and other co-authors. Nadia Ansini is professor of Mathematical Analysis atthe Department of Mathematics, Sapienza University of Rome. She is an expert in the Calculus of Variations, Homogenization and Multiple-scale models in mathematical materials science with subjects ranging from perforated domains, thin films, phase transitions, and variational evolution problems. She was awarded with two Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowships in 2000 and 2012. She is Lise Meitner visiting professor at Lund University (Sweden, 2022-2025).Andrea Braides is professor of Mathematical Analysis at SISSA, Trieste, on leave from the University of Rome Tor Vergata. He is an expert in the Calculus of Variations andHomogenization. He is the author of several monographs in the fields of Gamma-convergence and Discrete Variational Problems. He was an invited speaker at the 2014 International Congress of Mathematicians in Seoul in the section Mathematics in Science and Technology. Andrey Piatnitsky is an expert in the Calculus of Variations and in Partial Differential Equations, specializing in the homogenization of both deterministic and stochastic energies and operators, and singularly perturbed operators. He has been the invited speaker to major international conferences on these subjects. He and his co-authors produced a monograph on Homogenization.Antonio Tribuzio is a research fellow at the Institute for AppliedMathematics, Heidelberg University. His field of expertise is the Calculus of Variations. He worked, among others, on the relation between De Giorgi's Minimizing Movements and Gamma-convergence, discrete evolutions and scaling behaviour of energies related to Shape-Memory Alloys.

Inhalt

• Introduction: Motion on Lattices. - Variational Evolution. - Discrete-to-Continuum Limits of Planar Lattice Energies. - Evolution of Planar Lattices. - Perspectives: Evolutions with Microstructure.