An Introduction to Continuum Physics

This is a masterly exposition and an encyclopedic presentation of the theory of hyperbolic conservation laws. It illustrates the essential role of continuum thermodynamics in providing motivation and direction for the development of the mathematical theory while also serving as the principal source of applications.

This is a masterly exposition and an encyclopedic presentation of the theory of hyperbolic conservation laws. It illustrates the essential role of continuum thermodynamics in providing motivation and direction for the development of the mathematical theory while also serving as the principal source of applications. The reader is expected to have a certain mathematical sophistication and to be familiar with (at least) the rudiments of analysis and the qualitative theory of partial differential equations, whereas prior exposure to continuum physics is not required.

Differential equations are often used in mathematical models for technological processes or devices. However, the design of a differential mathematical model is crucial and difficult in engineering.
As a hands-on approach to learn how to pose a differential mathematical model the authors have selected 9 examples with important practical application and treat them as following:

This mathematically-oriented introduction takes the point of view that students should become familiar, at an early stage, with the physics of relativistic continua and thermodynamics within the framework of special relativity. Therefore, in addition to standard textbook topics such as relativistic kinematics and vacuum electrodynamics, the reader will be thoroughly introduced to relativistic continuum and fluid mechanics. Emphasis in the presentation is on the 3+1 splitting technique, widely used in general relativity for introducing the relative observers point of view.