The aim of Plasticity Theory is to provide a comprehensive introduction to the contemporary state of knowledge in basic plasticity theory and to its applications. It treats several areas not commonly found between the covers of a single book: the physics of plasticity, constitutive theory, dynamic plasticity, large-deformation plasticity, and numerical methods, in addition to a representative survey of problems treated by classical methods, such as elastic-plastic problems, plane plastic flow, and limit analysis; the problem discussed come from areas of interest to mechanical, structural, and geotechnical engineers, metallurgists and others.

The necessary mathematics and basic mechanics and thermodynamics are covered in an introductory chapter, making the book a self-contained text suitable for advanced undergraduates and graduate students, as well as a reference for practitioners of solid mechanics.