Potential theory method for 3D crack and contact problems of multi-field coupled media: a survey

This paper presents an overview of the recent progress of potential theory method in the analysis of mixed boundary value problems mainly stemming from three-dimensional crack or contact problems of multi-field coupled media. This method was used to derive a series of exact three dimensional solutions which should be of great theoretical significance because most of them usually cannot be derived by other methods such as the transform method and the trial-and-error method. Further, many solutions are obtained in terms of elementary functions that enable us to treat more complicated problems easily. It is pointed out here that the method is usually only applicable to media characterizing transverse isotropy, from which, however, the results for the isotropic case can be readily obtained.