Global existence results and duality for non-linear models of plates and shells

Abstract

In this article firstly we develop a new proof for global existence of minimizers for the Kirchhoff-Love plate model. We also present a duality principle and relating sufficient optimality conditions for such a variational plate model. In a second step, we present a global existence result for a non-linear model of shells. For this model, we also develop a duality principle and concerning sufficient conditions of optimality.

28 pages, some parts of the text have been re-written, variational nature of the dual formulations retaken