Nonlocal continuum field theories are concerned with material bodies whose behavior at any interior point depends on the state of all other points in the body -- rather than only on an effective field resulting from these points -- in addition to its own state and the state of some calculable external field. Nonlocal field theory extends classical field theory by describing the responses of points within the medium by functionals rather than functions (the "constitutive relations" of classical field theory). Such considerations are already well known in solid-state physics, where the nonlocal interactions between the atoms are prevalent in determining the properties of the material. The tools developed for crystalline materials, however, do not lend themselves to analyzing amorphous materials, or materials in which imperfections are a major part of the structure. Nonlocal continuum theories, by contrast, can describe these materials faithfully at scales down to the lattice parameter. This book presents a unified approach to field theories for elastic solids, viscous fluids, and heat-conducting electromagnetic solids and fluids that include nonlocal effects in both space and time (memory effects). The solutions to the field equations agree remarkably well with atomic theories and experimental observations.

Continuum Physics, Volume IV: Polar and Nonlocal Field Theories discusses the exposition of field theories for bodies which possess inner structure that can interact with mechanical and electromagnetic fields. This book provides precise presentations of exact continuum theories on materially non-uniform or non-simple bodies that can respond to short- and long-range inter-particle loads and fields. This volume consists of three parts. Part I is devoted to the study of continuum field theories for bodies having inner structure. All materials, to some extent, are composed of particles that behave like small rigid bodies or deformable particles, unlike the geometrical points of the classical continuum theory. The developments of nonlocal theories of nonpolar and polar continua are covered in Parts II and III. This publication is valuable to students and researchers interested in polar and nonlocal field theories.

Continuum Physics, Volume II: Continuum Mechanics of Single-Substance Bodies discusses the continuum mechanics of bodies constituted by a single substance, providing a thorough and precise presentation of exact theories that have evolved during the past years. This book consists of three parts—basic principles, constitutive equations for simple materials, and methods of solution. Part I of this publication is devoted to a discussion of basic principles irrespective of material geometry and constitution that are valid for all kinds of substances, including composites. The geometrical notions, kinematics, balance laws, and thermodynamics of continua are also deliberated. Part II focuses on materials consisting of a single substance, followed by a general theory of constitutive equations and special types of bodies. The thermoelastic solids, thermoviscous fluids, and memory-dependent materials are likewise considered. Part III is devoted to a discussion of a variety of nonlinear and linear problems, as well as nonlinear deformations of elastic solids, viscometric fluids, singular surfaces and waves, and complex function technique. This volume is a good source for researchers and students conducting work on the continuum mechanics of single-substance bodies.

Microcontinuum field theories extend classical field theories to microscopic spaces and short time scales. This volume is concerned with the kinematics of microcontinua. It begins with a discussion of strain, stress tensors, balance laws, and constitutive equations, and then discusses applications of the fundamental ideas to the theory of elasticity. The ideas developed here are important in modeling the fluid or elastic properties of porous media, polymers, liquid crystals, slurries, and composite materials.