Studies of elastic-plastic instabilities

Analyses of plastic instabilities are reviewed, with focus on results in st ructural mechanics as well as continuum mechanics. First the basic theories for bifurcation and post-bifurcation behavior are briefly presented. Then, localization of plastic flow is discussed, including shear band formation in solids, localized necking in biaxially stretched metal sheets, and the a nalogous phenomenon of buckling localization in structures. Also some recen t results for cavitation instabilities in elastic-plastic solids are review ed.