This textbook offers readers an introduction to fracture mechanics,
equipping them to grasp the basic ideas of the presented approaches to
modeling in applied mechanics
In the first part, the book reviews and expands on the classical theory
of elastic and elasto-plastic material behavior. A solid understanding
of these two topics is the essential prerequisite to advancing to damage
and fracture mechanics. Thus, the second part of this course provides an
introduction to the treatment of damage and fractures in the context of
applied mechanics
Wherever possible, the one-dimensional case is first introduced and then
generalized in a following step. This departs somewhat from the more
classical approach, where first the most general case is derived and
then simplified to special cases. In general, the required mathematics
background is kept to a minimum
Tutorials are included at the end of each chapter, presenting the major
steps for the solution and offering valuable tips and tricks. The
supplementary problems featured in the book