19-04-2010

PRODEM - Doctoral Program in Mechanical

Engineering

Tensors: Algebra, Linear

Operators, Calculus
Francisco Pires, fpires@fe.up.pt
March 2010

Higher-order Tensors
Although there are several ways in which higher order tensors can be defined,
the procedure used here is an extension of the definition employed for
second order tensors. In this way, a third order tensor is defined as a linear
map from an arbitrary vector a to a second order tensor A as

In particular, the tensor product of three arbitrary vectors yields a third order
tensor

defined in a manner, similar to the dyadic product: , so that

any vector d is mapped to

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 19-04-2010

Higher-order Tensors
The 33=27 third-order tensors for i, j, k =1, 2, 3, which are obtained
by taking the tensor products of the three Cartesian base vectors, constitute a
basis in which a third order tensor can be expressed as

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Higher-order Tensors

where manipulation similar to that employed for second order tensors will
verify that the components of are

The double contraction of a third-order tensor and a second order tensor is

defined in such a way that for the dyadic product of any two vectors a and b a
new vector is obtained as

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Higher-order Tensors
The double contraction of a third order tensor with a second order tensor B
produces a vector.

An example of third-order tensor of interest in continuum mechanics is the

alternating tensor , which is defined in such a way that any vector a is
mapped to

Where Askw is a skew second order tensor from:

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Fourth-order Tensors

Any tensor can be defined by recursive use of the definition of linear

mapping. A fourth-order tensor is a linear map between an arbitrary
vector a and a third order tensor as

Fourth order tensors are of particular relevance in continuum mechanics.

Examples of fourth-order tensors are obtained by extending the definition of
the tensor product of vectors to give

Similar tensor products of a vector and a third-order tensor and second order
tensors are inferred from the above definition.

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Fourth-order Tensors

Fourth-order tensors can be expressed as linear combinations of the 34=81

tensor products of the Cartesian vectors

in which Aijkl are the components of .

We have the useful properties

With this properties we can show that the components of Aijkl of can be
expressed as

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Fourth-order Tensors

The double contraction of with a second order tensor B is a second order

tensor:

An illustration of this would be the crucially important constitutive relationship

between a second order stress tensor, , and a second order strain tensor, ,
given as

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Tensor product

A further example for a fourth-order tensor is the tensor product

where A and B are second order tensors with components Aij and Bij.

Index notation

In index notation we may write

The tensor product for second-order tensors includes the dyadic product for
vectors (recall : ).

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Tensor product

Example:

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Transpose

The unique transpose of a fourth-order tensor denoted is governed, by

the identity

For all second order tensors B and C. The properties of a fourth-order tensor

Index notation

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Fourth-order (distinct) unit tensors

The fourth-order identity tensor and the transposition tensor are defined in
such a way that any second order tensor A is mapped onto itself and its
transpose respectively as

Index notation

The fourth-order unit tensors may be represented by

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Fourth-order tensors

The deviatoric part of a second order tensor A may be described by means of a

fourth-order tensor .

Index notation

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Questions ?
Francisco Pires,
fpires@fe.up.pt

March 2010

Nonlinear Continuum Mechanics for Finite Element Analysis

PRODEM - Doctoral Program in Mechanical Engineering
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