Global invertibility of Sobolev functions and the interpenetration of matter

Abstract

SynopsisA global inverse function theorem is established for mappingsu: Ω → ℝn, Ω ⊂ ℝnbounded and open, belonging to the Sobolev spaceW1.p(Ω),p>n. The theorem is applied to the pure displacement boundary value problem of nonlinear elastostatics, the conclusion being that there is no interpenetration of matter for the energy-minimizing displacement field.