The configuration space and principle of virtual power for rough bodies

In the setting of an n-dimensional Euclidean space, the duality between velocity fields on the class of admissible bodies and Cauchy fluxes is studied using tools from geometric measure theory. A generalized Cauchy flux theory is obtained for sets whose measure theoretic boundaries may be as irregular as flat (n − 1)-chains. Initially, bodies are modeled as normal n -currents induced by sets of finite perimeter. A configuration space comprising Lipschitz embeddings induces virtual velocities given by locally Lipschitz mappings. A Cauchy flux is defined as a real valued function on the Cartesian product of (n − 1)-currents and locally Lipschitz mappings. A version of Cauchy’s postulates implies that a Cauchy flux may be uniquely extended to an n-tuple of flat (n − 1)-cochains. Thus, the class of admissible bodies is extended to include flat n-chains and a generalized form of the principle of virtual power is presented. Wolfe’s representation theorem for flat cochains enables the identification of stress as an n-tuple of flat (n − 1)-forms representing the flat (n − 1)-cochains associated with the Cauchy flux.