Doctoral School in Engineering and Architecture

Course Units

The training program is overseen by the Faculty Board, which includes experts in the scientific disciplines relevant to each research topic covered within this PhD program. The program consists of attending lectures and courses—also offered by other universities, graduate schools, or foreign institutions with which exchange and reciprocity agreements have been established—as well as participating in seminars, laboratory and research activities, and study stays at other scientific and technical institutions.

Below is a list of the courses scheduled for 2025

2025

Variational methods in dynamics

Dynamics has historically developed trough a series of steps, starting from Galilei and achieving the formulations of Lagrange, Hamilton and Einstein. While performing these steps, scientists have always recognized the importance of setting to the base the principle of “Least Action”. Although we have to (and must) remain in the inner of Classical Mechanics, the just mentioned principle is of fundamental importance for us. In this brief course, an introduction to the “Calculus of Variation” is given, touching the most emblematic physical problems that led to this tool. In the end, a brief hint to its application to the principle of least action will be given, leading to the canonical formulation of the “Lagrange Equations”.

 

Computational mechanics

Coordinate transformation and rotations in 3D, Lie algebra and Lie groups. Discretization of PDEs, the Galerkin method.
Application to linear problems in heat and elasticity. Numerical methods for solving linear problems: direct methods, fixed point methods, Krylov methods, multigrid methods. Numerical methods for non-linear problems. Application to geometric and material nonlinearities in structural mechanics. ODE: time integration. Multistep integrators, implicit / explicit integrators. The Dahlquist barrier. DAE: index, A-stability, time integration schemes. Constrained dynamics and multibody problems. Outlook: parallel computing.

 

Elements of nonlinear continuum mechanics

The course aims to provide some basic notions of non-linear continuum mechanics. Topics that will be covered are the
following: analysis of the deformation; deformation gradient; polar decomposition, Green-Lagrange strain tensor; analysis of the state of stress; Piola transformation; first and second Piola Kirchhoff stress tensors; hyperelastic bodies; strain energy; constitutive equations; change of observer and invariance of material response; derivation of the linear theory of elasticity.

 

Analytical modelling of sandwich and layered composites

The course aims to provide a comprehensive description of the analytical modelling of the response of sandwich and layered beams and plates, made by the composition of either elastic and viscoelastic layers, under bending and buckling.

 

Elements of thermography and thermal imaging 

These lessons provide a comprehensive foundation in quantitative thermography, exploring a wide range of applications from power electronics and heat transfer to building analysis, diagnostics, and prognostics.

 

 

Contacts

UO Formazione Post Lauream - PhD Office

Hub

P.le San Francesco 3 – 43121 Parma

Contacts
T. +39 0521 034214
E. dottorati@unipr.it

Head
Dott.ssa Sonia RIZZOLI