CHARACTERISTIC SURFACES IN IDEAL PLASTICITY IN THREE DIMENSIONS

Abstract

Conditions are found for the existence of characteristic surfaces for the equations of ideal plasticity in three dimensions. It is observed that the conditions are every where satisfied in the problem of plane strain, so that there is then a complete set of characteristics. In more general problems, including those with axial symmetry, there are only isolated characteristic surfaces. An example is given of an axially symmetric solution with an isolated characteristic surface.