Alen Alexenderian, University of Maryland, Baltimore County


Homogenization and symmetry in random media

Abstract: Determining effective properties of media with inhomogeneous microstructure is a problem of interest in engineering, materials science, and mathematical physics. After introducing some basic ideas from homogenization theory, we will derive sufficient symmetry conditions for a composite structure to ensure isotropy of the corresponding homogenized (effective) medium. We consider both the case of a scalar divergence operator (modeling for example heat conduction), and also the problems of linear elasticity.

Advisors: S. Rouben Rostamian and Muruhan Rathinam (University of Maryland, Baltimore County)