Asymptotic equivalence of homogenisation procedures and fine-tuning of continuum theories

Long-wave models obtained in the process of asymptotic homogenisation of structures with a characteristic length scale are known to be non-unique. The term non-uniqueness is used here in the sense that various homogenisation strategies may lead to distinct governing equations that usually, for a given order of the governing equation, approximate the original problem with the same asymptotic accuracy. A constructive procedure presented in this paper generates a class of asymptotically equivalent long-wave models from an original homogenised theory. The described non-uniqueness manifests itself in the occurrence of additional parameters characterising the model. A simple problem of long-wave propagation in a regular one-dimensional lattice structure is used to illustrate important criteria for selecting these parameters. The procedure is then applied to derive a class of continuum theories for a two-dimensional square array of particles. Applications to asymptotic structural theories are also discussed. In particular, we demonstrate how to improve the governing equation for the Rayleigh–Love rod and explain the reasons for the well-known numerical accuracy of the Mindlin plate theory.