Department of Mathematics
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24061-0123
Phone: (540) 231-4184
Fax: (540) 231-5960
E-Mail: rogers@math.vt.edu
Office: 530 McBryde Hall
My research is aimed at achieving a deeper mathematical understanding of the physics of continua (i.e. materials that are described as a continuous body rather than a discrete or quantum mechanical system). The physics of continua is usually described mathematically by partial differential equations. Because of the mathematical links between different types of physical systems, I have been interested in a variety of physical problems: elasticity, electromagnetism, and thermodynamics. More specifically, I have been interested in phase transitions in fluids and solids and in ferromagnetism. All of these phenomena are described by "nonconvex" problem in the calculus of variations.