| For the first time true variational principles are formulated for the analysis of the continuum problems of heat diffusion, dynamic thermoelasticity, poroelasticity, and time-dependent quantum mechanics. This is accomplished by considering the stationarity of a mixed convolved action, which can be seen as a modern counterpart to the original actions posed in Hamilton's principle and its many extensions. By including fractional derivatives, convolution integrals, and mixed variables into the definition of the action these new variational principles overcome the shortcomings of the many other variational methods based on Hamilton's principle, namely the inability to include dissipation in a consistent manner and the unjustified need to constrain variations on the primary unknowns of a system at the end of the time interval. These new variational principles then provide ideal weak forms from which novel time-space finite element methods having certain attractive properties are formulated. |
