Faculty Directory
Contact Information
Office:
Stratton Hall, 011
Phone: +1-508-831-6124
Fax: +1-508-831-5824
cjlarsen@wpi.edu
Christopher Larsen
- Associate Professor, Mathematical Sciences
Many interesting physical phenomena are difficult to pin down mathematically, which is a necessary first step in order to make predictions confidently. This is particularly true in the study of the evolution of defects in materials; for example, predicting the growth and paths of cracks. My research is in applied analysis, and my goals are to formulate mathematically- and physically-reasonable models for these problems, as well as understand the properties of solutions (even proving their existence itself is often a serious problem). At WPI, I involve both graduate and undergraduate students in these projects, who often make important contributions.
Research Interests
- Partial Differential Equations
- Calculus of Variations
- Geometric Measure Theory
- Applications to Materials Science, especially Fracture Mechanics
Education
- BS, Carnegie Mellon University, 1989
- JD, University of Maryland, 1992
- MS, Carnegie Mellon University, 1994
- PhD, Carnegie Mellon University, 1996
Featured Publications
- B. Bourdin, C. J. Larsen, and C. L. Richardson. A time-discrete model for dynamic fracture based on crack regularization, International Journal of Fracture, 168 (2011), pp. 133-143.
- C. J. Larsen. Epsilon-stable quasi-static brittle fracture evolution, Comm. Pure Appl. Math. 63 (2010), pp. 630-654.
- C. J. Larsen, C. Ortner, and E. Suli. Existence of solutions to a regularized model of dynamic fracture. Mathematical Models and Methods in Applied Sciences, 20 (2010), pp. 1021-1048.
- Garroni and C. J. Larsen. Threshold-based quasi-static brittle damage evolution, Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal., 194 (2009), pp. 585-609.
- C. J. Larsen, M. Ortiz, and C. Richardson. Fracture paths from front kinetics: relaxation and rate-independence, Arch. Ration Mech. Anal., 193 (2009), pp. 539-583.
Professional Highlights
- Leverhulme Visiting Professor
- Visiting positions at Caltech, Oxford, University of Paris IX, University of Paris XIII
