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The elastic polarization is the excess stress relative to a homogeneous comparison elastic stiffness tensor. In heterogeneous linear elasticity, $\tau =(C-C^0)\epsilon$. The comparison static elastic equilibrium equation gives the integral equation $\epsilon ={\epsilon }^0-\Gamma \tau$, where ${\epsilon }^0$ is the reference strain under the same external loading.

For a homogeneous comparison elastic stiffness tensor $C^0$, the elastic strain Green operator maps an elastic polarization to minus the induced infinitesimal strain tensor. In a bounded domain the induced displacement field has zero boundary data; in an infinite medium it is the decaying perturbation. The defining static elastic equilibrium equation is $\nabla \cdot (C^0\mathrm{sym}\nabla u+\tau )=0$. The bounded-domain operator is self-adjoint, annihilates constant elastic polarizations, has zero mean output, and satisfies $\Gamma C^0\Gamma =\Gamma$.

For symmetric stress in static elastic equilibrium without body force, write $E=⟨\epsilon ⟩$ and $S=⟨\sigma ⟩$. The difference between microscopic and macroscopic work is $|\Omega {|}^{-1}{\int }_{\partial \Omega }(\sigma -S)n\cdot (u-Ex)$. It vanishes for affine boundary displacement, uniform boundary traction, or matching periodic displacement fluctuations and opposite tractions on paired faces.

Use the local momentum equation in the current volume:Symmetry of the Cauchy stress tensor and the product rule giveApply the divergence theorem and use $t_j={\sigma }_{jk}{n}_k$. The mean stress and strain boundary identities follow:For infinitesimal strain tensor, $e_{ij}=(u_{i,j}+u_{j,i})/2$, and a second application of the divergence theorem gives

To first order, evaluate self-gravity in the undeformed uniform sphere. The shell theorem says that only the enclosed mass $M(r)=4\pi \rho r^3/3$ contributes to the inward field. ConsequentlyThe field vanishes at the centre and increases linearly to its surface value.

The requested radius change concerns the final traction-free static elastic equilibrium, not the acceleration immediately after gravity is switched on. In equilibrium the boundary traction and acceleration vanish. Spherical symmetry givesThe homogeneous linear elasticity law commutes with volume averaging:Thus $\overline{e}=e_{0}I$ with $e_0=-\rho ga/(15\kappa )$. This conclusion is about the mean strain, not a claim that the local strain is uniform.

Let the boundary displacement be $u(a)=u_{a}n$. Since ${\int }_S{n}_i{n}_{j}dS=(4\pi a^2/3){\delta }_{ij}$, the boundary identity gives $\overline{e}=(u_a/a)I$. Therefore the equilibrium contraction of a self-gravitating elastic sphere isThe shear modulus cancels because the mean deformation is purely volumetric.

The full radial field provides a useful check without assuming uniform deformation. For $u=f(r)e_r$, momentum balance isRegularity at the centre gives $f=Ar+B{r}^3$, withfrom ${\sigma }_{rr}(a)=0$. Substitution reproduces $f(a)=-\rho g{a}^2/(15\kappa )$. During the transient, the acceleration term in the mean-stress identity remains; gravitational feedback from the small density and shape changes is higher order in the equilibrium calculation.

Write $⟨q⟩=|\Omega {|}^{-1}{\int }_{\Omega }qdx$, $E=⟨\epsilon ⟩$ and $S=⟨\sigma ⟩$. Use the infinitesimal strain tensor, symmetric stress, zero body force, and the outward unit normal $n$. The divergence theorem applied separately to the two displacement derivatives givesFor static elastic equilibrium, ${\sigma }_{ik,k}=0$, and therefore ${\partial }_k({\sigma }_{ik}{x}_j)={\sigma }_{ij}$. With traction $t_i={\sigma }_{ik}{n}_k$, the divergence theorem now givesThe right-hand side is automatically symmetric because the volume stress tensor is symmetric; it can also be written as the integral of $(t_i{x}_j+t_j{x}_i)/2$.

To prove the work identity, put $v=u-Ex$. The constant symmetric tensor $S$ is equilibrated, so integration by parts givesHere the two cross terms each equal $|\Omega |S:E$, and the last constant term restores one of them. Division by the volume proves the required identity. In particular, affine boundary displacement makes $v=0$ on the boundary and yields the Hill-Mandel energy identity. The zero-body force hypothesis matters: otherwise the first integration by parts has an additional volume-force term.

Interpret derivatives on the space of symmetric strains, with inner product $A:B=A_{ij}{B}_{ij}$. Assume a differentiable strain energy density with local stress $\sigma =D_{\epsilon }W$, and a differentiable stable equilibrium branch under the prescribed affine boundary displacement. Thus $u_E(x)=Ex+v_E(x)$ with $v_E=0$ on $\partial \Omega$; part(a) ensures that the mean strain is exactly $E$.

Vary $E$ in any symmetric direction $H$. The induced displacement variation has the form $\dot{u}=Hx+\dot{v}$, where $\dot{v}$ vanishes on the boundary. Differentiating the effective elastic energy and using static elastic equilibrium givesThe last term is zero by integration by parts, since the body force is zero and $\dot{v}$ has zero boundary trace. As $H$ is arbitrary,This is a work-conjugacy statement on symmetric tensors; treating off-diagonal entries as independent scalar coordinates without their contraction weights would introduce erroneous factors of two. If the minimized effective elastic energy has a nondifferentiable point, the corresponding formulation uses a subgradient rather than a claimed classical derivative.

Let $u$ be the actual displacement field, let $u^{\prime }$ be an admissible trial displacement, and set $v=u^{\prime }-u$. On the displacement-prescribed part of the boundary, $v=0$. With actual stress $\sigma =D_{\epsilon }W(\epsilon )$, the supporting-plane inequality for the convex strain energy density givesBoth $\sigma$ and ${\sigma }_0$ satisfy static elastic equilibrium with the same body force, so $\nabla \cdot (\sigma -{\sigma }_0)=0$. On the traction-prescribed boundary their tractions agree. Since ${\epsilon }^{\prime }-\epsilon =\mathrm{sym}\nabla v$, integration by parts givesSubtracting the prescribed external-work representative proves the minimum potential energy principle in elasticity:Strict convexity gives uniqueness of the minimizing strain, although rigid displacements can remain when the boundary conditions allow them.

For the comparison bound, put $F(e,x)=W(e,x)-W_0(e)$ and use the lower conjugate, with its infimum sign convention,Its defining inequality is $F_{\ast }(\tau ,x)\le \tau :e-F(e,x)$, hence $W(e,x)\le W_0(e)+\tau :e-F_{\ast }(\tau ,x)$ for every $e$. Integrate this pointwise majorant for each compatible strain, then take the infimum over the same admissible set. This provesNo convexity of $F$ is used for this inequality. If $F_{\ast }(\tau ,x)=-\infty$, it yields only the extended-real upper bound $+\infty$. For example, $W_0=0$ and $W(e)=|e{|}^2/2$ give $F_{\ast }(\tau )=-\infty$ for every finite $\tau$. A useful finite bound requires a suitable comparison energy; choosing a sufficiently stiff quadratic comparison makes the usual excess energies concave. The derivative used below additionally presupposes finite differentiable duals, or an appropriate supergradient formulation.

Now normalize $|\Omega |=1$, take positive constant $C^0$, and write $F_r(e)=W_r(e)-e:C^{0}e/2$. For phasewise constant elastic polarization $\tau ={\sum }_r{\chi }_r{\tau }^r$, its lower conjugate contribution is constant within each phase. The remaining minimization isWrite the minimizing strain as $\hat{e}=E+\eta$, where $\eta$ comes from a zero-boundary displacement field. The static elastic equilibrium equation is $\nabla \cdot (C^0\eta +\tau )=0$, so the supplied elastic strain Green operator gives $\eta =-\Gamma \tau$. Its zero mean removes the cross term with the constant $E$. Using its reciprocity and projection property $\Gamma C^0\Gamma =\Gamma$, we obtainHere the brackets in the last two terms denote the spatial integral and tensor contraction, not just a phase average.

Let $c_r={\int }_{\Omega }{\chi }_r$. The zero output mean and reciprocity of $\Gamma$ imply that it annihilates constant elastic polarizations on either side. Thus subtracting $c_r$ and $c_s$ from the phase indicators does not change their bilinear integral. Define the fourth-order block tensorsConsequently $A_{rs}=A_{sr}^T$, ${\sum }_s{A}_{rs}=0$, andThese identities follow from reciprocity and ${\sum }_s{\chi }_s={\sum }_s{c}_s=1$; no phase independence assumption is needed. The phase polarization comparison bound, valid for every polarization with finite dual terms, is thereforeIn particular, it can be optimized over the phase elastic polarizations without changing the upper-bound direction.

To derive the final displayed form, impose the stationarity equations in the question. For $c_r>0$, put $e^r=D{F}_{r\ast }({\tau }^r)$; these are dual strains, initially distinct from the comparison solution's phase averages. Reciprocity of $A$ givesThus stationarity is exactlyThe comparison solution has phase meanso the dual strains become its phase means at stationarity. Multiplying the stationarity equations by ${\tau }^r$ and summing gives ${\sum }_{r,s}{\tau }^r:A_{rs}{\tau }^s={\sum }_r{c}_r{\tau }^r:(E-e^r)$.

For clarity, the concave biconjugate here uses another infimum: $F_{r\ast \ast }(e)={\inf }_s\{s:e-F_{r\ast }(s)\}$. The lower conjugate $F_{r\ast }$ is concave, since it is an infimum of affine functions. At a differentiable finite point, its supporting-plane inequality shows that $s={\tau }^r$ minimizes this last expression when $e=e^r$. HenceSubstitute both identities into $\mathcal{B}$ to obtainThis is the requested final bound with the accompanying phase equations. It remains valid at any well-defined stationary choice; asserting existence of such a differentiable choice for arbitrary $W_0$ would require extra hypotheses. Without stationarity, the earlier $\mathcal{B}(E,\tau )$ is the correct general bound. In the concave closed excess-energy case $F_{r\ast \ast }=F_r$; for general excess energies replacing the concave biconjugate by $F_r$ without proof would reverse the needed majorant logic.

A symmetric stress tensor is in static elastic equilibrium when its divergence balances the prescribed body force. Its boundary traction is $t_i={\sigma }_{ij}{n}_j$. With zero body force, integration by parts gives ${\int }_{\Omega }\sigma :\mathrm{sym}\nabla v={\int }_{\partial \Omega }t\cdot v$. This is the weak principle of virtual work for a static elastic body.