Geometric Flows on Planar Lattices (Pathways in Mathematics)

This book introduces the reader to important concepts in modern applied analysis, such as homogenization, gradient flows on metric spaces, geometric evolution, Gamma-convergence tools, applications of geometric measure theory, properties of interfacial energies, etc. This is done by tackling a prototypical problem of interfacial evolution in heterogeneous media, where these concepts are introduced and elaborated in a natural and constructive way. At the same time, the analysis introduces open issues of a general and fundamental nature, at the core of important applications. The focus on two-dimensional lattices as a prototype of heterogeneous media allows visual descriptions of concepts and methods through a large amount of illustrations.