PIMS / AMI Seminar: Francois Gay-Balmaz

  • Date: 04/03/2013
  • Time: 15:00
Lecturer(s):
Francois Gay-Balmaz, CNRS and Ecole Normale Superioure
Location: 

University of Alberta

Topic: 

Equivalent theories of liquid crystals

Description: 

There are two competing descriptions of nematic liquid crystaldynamics: the Ericksen-Leslie director theory and the Eringenmicropolar approach. Up to this day, these two descriptions haveremained distinct in spite of several attempts to show that themicropolar theory comprises the director theory. In this talk I willshow that this is the case by using Lie group symmetry reductiontechniques. More precisely, I will show how these systems can be seenas reduced Euler-Lagrange equations on semidirect product Liealgebras and how this geometric approach can be used to prove thatthe micropolar theory of liquid crystal comprises the well-knownEricksen-Leslie theory.

Other Information: 

Location: CAB 365