Viscous dissipation potential ($S\in \partial \Omega (D)$)

A convex scalar function $\Omega (D)$ on symmetric rate-of-strain tensors generates stress by $S=\partial \Omega /\partial D$. For incompressible flow, its argument is trace free and a pressure reaction must be added to the stress. At nondifferentiable points the law is $S\in \partial \Omega (D)$, where the subdifferential is defined by $\Omega (E)-\Omega (D)\ge S:(E-D)$ for every admissible $E$. This is a strain-rate potential, in contrast with potentials parameterized by thermodynamic forces.

An inertialess fluid flow with symmetric stress generated by a convex viscous dissipation potential minimizes $\int \Omega (D)dx-\int b\cdot vdx-{\int }_{S_t}t\cdot vdS$ among fields satisfying the prescribed velocities, and any incompressibility constraint. The supporting-hyperplane inequality bounds the difference of two functional values below by $\int S:\nabla w-\int b\cdot w-{\int }_{S_t}t\cdot w$. Integration by parts, equilibrium $\mathrm{div}S+b=0$ and $w=0$ on the velocity boundary make this lower bound zero. A pressure reaction has zero contraction with divergence-free variations. Convexity proves global minimality without asserting uniqueness.