The aim of the book is to present, in a novel and unified fashion, the
elements of Mechanics in Material Space or Configurational Mechanics,
with applications to fracture and defect mechanics. This mechanics, in
contrast to Newtonian mechanics in physical space, is concerned with
defects such as cracks and dislocations, which are embedded in the
material and might move in it. The level is kept accessible to any
engineer, scientist or graduate student possessing some knowledge of
calculus and partial differential equations, and working in the various
areas where rational use of materials is essential.