Configurational Forces: Defects in Materials

This lecture covers the concept of configurational forces in materials, focusing on defects such as dislocations, solutes, and grain boundaries. It explains how these defects interact with applied fields, defining the configurational force as the change in total energy when a defect is moved. The lecture emphasizes the equilibrium conditions and the absence of forces in stress-free infinite mediums, highlighting the importance of understanding the interactions between defects. Various boundary value problems are discussed, illustrating the principles of virtual work and compatibility in material systems.