His research is in computational physics, specifically biophysics (tumor growth and cell mechanics) and materials physics (battery materials, structural alloys and semiconductor materials). In these areas Garikipati’s group focuses on developing mathematical and numerical models of phenomena that can be described by continuum analyses that translate to PDEs. Usually, these are nonlinear, and feature coupled physics, for example chemo-thermo-mechanics. Our numerical techniques are mesh-based variational methods such as the finite element method and its many variants. In some problems we make connections with fine-grained models, in which case we work with kinetic Monte Carlo, molecular dynamics or electronic structure calculations in some form. In the realm of analysis, we often examine the asymptotic limits of our mathematical models, and the consistency, stability and convergence of our numerical methods.
Isogeometric analysis (weak form based-solution of PDEs with spline basis functions) of phase transformations in a battery material.