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In antiplane perfect plasticity, velocity $w=v_3$ and shear stresses $a={\sigma }_{13},b={\sigma }_{23}$ depend only on $x_1,x_2$. Force balance is $a_{,1}+b_{,2}=0$, the fixed yield surface is $f(a,b)=k$, and the associated flow rule is $\nabla w=2\dot{\lambda }(f_a,f_b)$ with $\dot{\lambda }\ge 0$. Differentiating the yield equation in each coordinate and combining it with equilibrium shows that $a,b,w$ are constant along characteristic curves tangent to $(-f_b,f_a)$. For example $-f_b{a}_{,1}+f_a{a}_{,2}=f_b{b}_{,2}+f_a{a}_{,2}=0$. Nonzero regular yield gradient is needed for a characteristic direction.

Put $a={\sigma }_{13}$, $b={\sigma }_{23}$, $w=v_3$, and write $f_a=\partial f/\partial a$, $f_b=\partial f/\partial b$. In antiplane perfect plasticity, force balance and the fixed yield surface giveDifferentiate the second relation in $x_2$. Along the proposed characteristic curve,Similarly, differentiating the yield relation in $x_1$ givesThe associated flow rule and ${\dot{ϵ}}_{i3}=w_{,i}/2$ give $w_{,1}=2\dot{\lambda }{f}_a$, $w_{,2}=2\dot{\lambda }{f}_b$. ConsequentlyThus both shear stresses and the antiplane velocity are constant on each characteristic. Assume a regular yield gradient $(f_a,f_b)\ne 0$. Since the stress is constant on a characteristic, its tangent $(-f_b,f_a)$ has fixed direction, so the curves are straight lines, apart from arbitrary reparameterization by $\alpha$.

In a centred antiplane plastic fan those lines emanate from the crack tip. Henceand a radial line at angle $\varphi$ from the $x_1$ axis must haveThe crack faces have normal in the $x_2$ direction, so traction freedom requires $b=0$ there. The fan joins the adjacent constant crack-face stress region along the characteristic carrying that stress. Its boundary line therefore satisfieswith the direction interpreted directly when the denominator vanishes. The original PDF reverses this ratio. Its displayed ratio is $d{x}_1/d{x}_2$, whereas the tangent of an angle from the $x_1$ axis is $d{x}_2/d{x}_1$. The distinction cannot be removed while retaining both its stated characteristic direction and its angle convention.

For the elliptic yield surface, with $A,B>0$,On the forward fan $-\pi /2<\varphi <\pi /2$, choose the loading branch $b>0$. The radial tangent condition gives $a/A^2=-(b/B^2)\tan \varphi$. Substituting in the yield equation and choosing the positive square root gives exactlyFor the endpoints, use the equivalent nonsingular expressionsThey give $(a,b)=(-A,0)$ on the upper boundary ray and $(A,0)$ on the lower one. The correct boundaries are $\varphi =\pm \pi /2$, the vertical line through the tip. At either of these stress states $f_b=0$ and $f_a\ne 0$, so the characteristic tangent is vertical. The printed boundary ratio would instead give a horizontal line, providing a concrete counterexample to that intermediate assertion.

Extend the upper and lower rear sectors by the constant stresses $(-A,0)$ and $(A,0)$ respectively; these satisfy the traction-free crack faces and match the fan stresses continuously. The reversed loading has all stresses negated. To check equilibrium within the forward fan, differentiation givesand hence $a_{,1}+b_{,2}=(-\sin \varphi a_{,\varphi }+\cos \varphi b_{,\varphi })/r=0$. The yield equation is satisfied identically as well.

Finally $\nabla w=w^{\prime }(\varphi )e_{\varphi }/r$, while $(f_a,f_b)=2e_{\varphi }/H$. The associated flow rule reduces tofor this stress branch. Any such angular velocity field is constant along the rays and has constant values in the adjacent rear sectors. Its magnitude and angular variation require velocity or loading data beyond the specified traction-free faces; the local stress fan alone does not determine them.