Many problems in scientific computing are intractable with classical numerical techniques. These fail, for example, in the solution of high-dimensional models due to the exponential increase of the number of degrees of freedom.

Recently, the authors of this book and their collaborators have developed a novel technique, called Proper Generalized Decomposition (PGD) that has proven to be a significant step forward. The PGD builds by means of a successive enrichment strategy a numerical approximation of the unknown fields in a separated form. Although first introduced and successfully demonstrated in the context of high-dimensional problems, the PGD allows for a completely new approach for addressing more standard problems in science and engineering. Indeed, many challenging problems can be efficiently cast into a multi-dimensional framework, thus opening entirely new solution strategies in the PGD framework. For instance, the material parameters and boundary conditions appearing in a particular mathematical model can be regarded as extra-coordinates of the problem in addition to the usual coordinates such as space and time. In the PGD framework, this enriched model is solved only once to yield a parametric solution that includes all particular solutions for specific values of the parameters.

The PGD has now attracted the attention of a large number of research groups worldwide. The present text is the first available book describing the PGD. It provides a very readable and practical introduction that allows the reader to quickly grasp the main features of the method.Throughout the book, the PGD is applied to problems of increasing complexity, and the methodology is illustrated by means of carefully selected numerical examples. Moreover, the reader has free access to the Matlab(c) software used to generate these examples."

This book gives a detailed and practical introduction to complex flows of polymers and reinforced polymers as well as the flow of simple fluids in complex microstructures. Over the last decades, an increasing number of functional and structural parts, made so far with metals, has been progressively reengineered by replacing metallic materials by polymers, reinforced polymers and composites. The motivation for this substitution may be the weight reduction, the simpler, cheaper or faster forming process, or the ability to exploit additional functionalities. The present Brief surveys modern developments related to the multi-scale modeling and simulation of polymers, reinforced polymers, that involve a flowing microstructure and continuous fiber-reinforced composites, wherein the fluid flows inside a nearly stationary multi-scale microstructure. These developments concern both multi-scale modeling, defining bridges between the micro and macro scales - with special emphasis on the mesoscopic scale at which kinetic theory descriptions apply and advanced simulation techniques able to address efficiently the ever more complex and detailed models defined at different scales. This book is addressed to students (Master and doctoral levels), researchers and professionals interested in computational rheology and material forming processes involving polymers, reinforced polymers and composites. It provides a unique coverage of the state of the art in these multi-disciplinary fields.