SPLAY-BEND ELASTIC-CONSTANT AND NEMATIC LIQUID-CRYSTAL ORIENTATION

The effect of the surface term depending on the first order derivative of the stable nematic liquid crystal orientation is analyzed. It is s hown that the tilt angle profile minimizing the total free energy is n ot the one obtained using the usual variational calculus. By means of the Ritz method it is shown that the minimizing function presents two surface discontinuities. Some comments on the applicability of the per turbative method for solving the ill posed variational problem are als o given.