Global Bifurcation in Nonlinear Elasticity with an Application to Barrelling States of Cylindrical Columns

We present rigorous local and global bifurcation results for a concrete example from 3-dimensional nonlinear elastostatics - the problem of barrelling of compressed cylindrical columns. We use standard tools of bifurcation theory for the local analysis, already producing results that are rare in our field. For the global part we employ the generalized degree designed by Healey and Simpson to overcome the specific difficulties of 3-dimensional nonlinear elasticity. Ours are the first global bifurcation results for a problem from 3-dimensional nonlinear elastostatics not governed by ordinary differential equations. Moreover, our approach to the barrelling problem provides a paradigm for the solution of a large class of problems in nonlinear elastostatics concerning bifurcation from a homogeneously deformed state.