Lamé parameters

In continuum mechanics, the Lamé parameters (also called the Lamé coefficients or Lamé constants) are two material-dependent quantities denoted by λ and μ that arise in strain-stress relationships. In general, λ and μ are individually referred to as Lamé's first parameter and Lamé's second parameter, respectively. Other names are sometimes employed for one or both parameters, depending on context. For example, the parameter μ is referred to in fluid dynamics as the dynamic viscosity of a fluid; whereas in the context of elasticity, μ is called the shear modulus, and is sometimes denoted by G instead of μ. Typically the notation G is seen paired with the use of Young's modulus, and the notation μ is paired with the use of λ.

In homogeneous and isotropic materials, these define Hooke's law in 3D,

${\boldsymbol {\sigma }}=2\mu {\boldsymbol {\varepsilon }}+\lambda \;\mathrm {tr} ({\boldsymbol {\varepsilon }})I$

where σ is the stress, ε the strain tensor, $\scriptstyle I$ the identity matrix and $\scriptstyle \mathrm {tr} (\cdot )$ the trace function.

The two parameters together constitute a parameterization of the elastic moduli for homogeneous isotropic media, popular in mathematical literature, and are thus related to the other elastic moduli; for instance, the bulk modulus can be expressed as $K=\lambda +(2/3)\mu$.

Although the shear modulus, μ, must be positive, the Lamé's first parameter, λ, can be negative, in principle; however, for most materials it is also positive.

The parameters are named after Gabriel Lamé.

Further reading

• K. Feng, Z.-C. Shi, Mathematical Theory of Elastic Structures, Springer New York, ISBN 0-387-51326-4, (1981)
• G. Mavko, T. Mukerji, J. Dvorkin, The Rock Physics Handbook, Cambridge University Press (paperback), ISBN 0-521-54344-4, (2003)
• W.S. Slaughter, The Linearized Theory of Elasticity, Birkhäuser, ISBN 0-8176-4117-3, (2002)

References

Conversion formulae
Homogeneous isotropic linear elastic materials have their elastic properties uniquely determined by any two moduli among these; thus, given any two, any other of the elastic moduli can be calculated according to these formulas, provided both for 3D materials (first part of the table) and for 2D materials (second part).
3D formulae	$K=\,$	$E=\,$	$\lambda =\,$	$G=\,$	$\nu =\,$	$M=\,$	Notes
$(K,\,E)$			${\tfrac {3K(3K-E)}{9K-E}}$	${\tfrac {3KE}{9K-E}}$	${\tfrac {3K-E}{6K}}$	${\tfrac {3K(3K+E)}{9K-E}}$
$(K,\,\lambda )$		${\tfrac {9K(K-\lambda )}{3K-\lambda }}$		${\tfrac {3(K-\lambda )}{2}}$	${\tfrac {\lambda }{3K-\lambda }}$	$3K-2\lambda \,$
$(K,\,G)$		${\tfrac {9KG}{3K+G}}$	$K-{\tfrac {2G}{3}}$		${\tfrac {3K-2G}{2(3K+G)}}$	$K+{\tfrac {4G}{3}}$
$(K,\,\nu )$		$3K(1-2\nu )\,$	${\tfrac {3K\nu }{1+\nu }}$	${\tfrac {3K(1-2\nu )}{2(1+\nu )}}$		${\tfrac {3K(1-\nu )}{1+\nu }}$
$(K,\,M)$		${\tfrac {9K(M-K)}{3K+M}}$	${\tfrac {3K-M}{2}}$	${\tfrac {3(M-K)}{4}}$	${\tfrac {3K-M}{3K+M}}$
$(E,\,\lambda )$	${\tfrac {E+3\lambda +R}{6}}$			${\tfrac {E-3\lambda +R}{4}}$	${\tfrac {2\lambda }{E+\lambda +R}}$	${\tfrac {E-\lambda +R}{2}}$	$R={\sqrt {E^{2}+9\lambda ^{2}+2E\lambda }}$
$(E,\,G)$	${\tfrac {EG}{3(3G-E)}}$		${\tfrac {G(E-2G)}{3G-E}}$		${\tfrac {E}{2G}}-1$	${\tfrac {G(4G-E)}{3G-E}}$
$(E,\,\nu )$	${\tfrac {E}{3(1-2\nu )}}$		${\tfrac {E\nu }{(1+\nu )(1-2\nu )}}$	${\tfrac {E}{2(1+\nu )}}$		${\tfrac {E(1-\nu )}{(1+\nu )(1-2\nu )}}$
$(E,\,M)$	${\tfrac {3M-E+S}{6}}$		${\tfrac {M-E+S}{4}}$	${\tfrac {3M+E-S}{8}}$	${\tfrac {E-M+S}{4M}}$		$S=\pm {\sqrt {E^{2}+9M^{2}-10EM}}$ There are two valid solutions. The plus sign leads to $\nu \geq 0$. The minus sign leads to $\nu \leq 0$.
$(\lambda ,\,G)$	$\lambda +{\tfrac {2G}{3}}$	${\tfrac {G(3\lambda +2G)}{\lambda +G}}$			${\tfrac {\lambda }{2(\lambda +G)}}$	$\lambda +2G\,$
$(\lambda ,\,\nu )$	${\tfrac {\lambda (1+\nu )}{3\nu }}$	${\tfrac {\lambda (1+\nu )(1-2\nu )}{\nu }}$		${\tfrac {\lambda (1-2\nu )}{2\nu }}$		${\tfrac {\lambda (1-\nu )}{\nu }}$	Cannot be used when $\nu =0\Leftrightarrow \lambda =0$
$(\lambda ,\,M)$	${\tfrac {M+2\lambda }{3}}$	${\tfrac {(M-\lambda )(M+2\lambda )}{M+\lambda }}$		${\tfrac {M-\lambda }{2}}$	${\tfrac {\lambda }{M+\lambda }}$
$(G,\,\nu )$	${\tfrac {2G(1+\nu )}{3(1-2\nu )}}$	$2G(1+\nu )\,$	${\tfrac {2G\nu }{1-2\nu }}$			${\tfrac {2G(1-\nu )}{1-2\nu }}$
$(G,\,M)$	$M-{\tfrac {4G}{3}}$	${\tfrac {G(3M-4G)}{M-G}}$	$M-2G\,$		${\tfrac {M-2G}{2M-2G}}$
$(\nu ,\,M)$	${\tfrac {M(1+\nu )}{3(1-\nu )}}$	${\tfrac {M(1+\nu )(1-2\nu )}{1-\nu }}$	${\tfrac {M\nu }{1-\nu }}$	${\tfrac {M(1-2\nu )}{2(1-\nu )}}$
2D formulae	$K_{\mathrm {2D} }=\,$	$E_{\mathrm {2D} }=\,$	$\lambda _{\mathrm {2D} }=\,$	$G_{\mathrm {2D} }=\,$	$\nu _{\mathrm {2D} }=\,$	$M_{\mathrm {2D} }=\,$	Notes
$(K_{\mathrm {2D} },\,E_{\mathrm {2D} })$			${\tfrac {2K_{\mathrm {2D} }(2K_{\mathrm {2D} }-E_{\mathrm {2D} })}{4K_{\mathrm {2D} }-E_{\mathrm {2D} }}}$	${\tfrac {K_{\mathrm {2D} }E_{\mathrm {2D} }}{4K_{\mathrm {2D} }-E_{\mathrm {2D} }}}$	${\tfrac {2K_{\mathrm {2D} }-E_{\mathrm {2D} }}{2K_{\mathrm {2D} }}}$	${\tfrac {4K_{\mathrm {2D} }^{2}}{4K_{\mathrm {2D} }-E_{\mathrm {2D} }}}$
$(K_{\mathrm {2D} },\,\lambda _{\mathrm {2D} })$		${\tfrac {4K_{\mathrm {2D} }(K_{\mathrm {2D} }-\lambda _{\mathrm {2D} })}{2K_{\mathrm {2D} }-\lambda _{\mathrm {2D} }}}$		$K_{\mathrm {2D} }-\lambda _{\mathrm {2D} }$	${\tfrac {\lambda _{\mathrm {2D} }}{2K_{\mathrm {2D} }-\lambda _{\mathrm {2D} }}}$	$2K_{\mathrm {2D} }-\lambda _{\mathrm {2D} }$
$(K_{\mathrm {2D} },\,G_{\mathrm {2D} })$		${\tfrac {4K_{\mathrm {2D} }G_{\mathrm {2D} }}{K_{\mathrm {2D} }+G_{\mathrm {2D} }}}$	$K_{\mathrm {2D} }-G_{\mathrm {2D} }$		${\tfrac {K_{\mathrm {2D} }-G_{\mathrm {2D} }}{K_{\mathrm {2D} }+G_{\mathrm {2D} }}}$	$K_{\mathrm {2D} }+G_{\mathrm {2D} }$
$(K_{\mathrm {2D} },\,\nu _{\mathrm {2D} })$		$2K_{\mathrm {2D} }(1-\nu _{\mathrm {2D} })\,$	${\tfrac {2K_{\mathrm {2D} }\nu _{\mathrm {2D} }}{1+\nu _{\mathrm {2D} }}}$	${\tfrac {K_{\mathrm {2D} }(1-\nu _{\mathrm {2D} })}{1+\nu _{\mathrm {2D} }}}$		${\tfrac {2K_{\mathrm {2D} }}{1+\nu _{\mathrm {2D} }}}$
$(E_{\mathrm {2D} },\,G_{\mathrm {2D} })$	${\tfrac {E_{\mathrm {2D} }G_{\mathrm {2D} }}{4G_{\mathrm {2D} }-E_{\mathrm {2D} }}}$		${\tfrac {2G_{\mathrm {2D} }(E_{\mathrm {2D} }-2G_{\mathrm {2D} })}{4G_{\mathrm {2D} }-E_{\mathrm {2D} }}}$		${\tfrac {E_{\mathrm {2D} }}{2G_{\mathrm {2D} }}}-1$	${\tfrac {4G_{\mathrm {2D} }^{2}}{4G_{\mathrm {2D} }-E_{\mathrm {2D} }}}$
$(E_{\mathrm {2D} },\,\nu _{\mathrm {2D} })$	${\tfrac {E_{\mathrm {2D} }}{2(1-\nu _{\mathrm {2D} })}}$		${\tfrac {E_{\mathrm {2D} }\nu _{\mathrm {2D} }}{(1+\nu _{\mathrm {2D} })(1-\nu _{\mathrm {2D} })}}$	${\tfrac {E_{\mathrm {2D} }}{2(1+\nu _{\mathrm {2D} })}}$		${\tfrac {E_{\mathrm {2D} }}{(1+\nu _{\mathrm {2D} })(1-\nu _{\mathrm {2D} })}}$
$(\lambda _{\mathrm {2D} },\,G_{\mathrm {2D} })$	$\lambda _{\mathrm {2D} }+G_{\mathrm {2D} }$	${\tfrac {4G_{\mathrm {2D} }(\lambda _{\mathrm {2D} }+G_{\mathrm {2D} })}{\lambda _{\mathrm {2D} }+2G_{\mathrm {2D} }}}$			${\tfrac {\lambda _{\mathrm {2D} }}{\lambda _{\mathrm {2D} }+2G_{\mathrm {2D} }}}$	$\lambda _{\mathrm {2D} }+2G_{\mathrm {2D} }\,$
$(\lambda _{\mathrm {2D} },\,\nu _{\mathrm {2D} })$	${\tfrac {\lambda _{\mathrm {2D} }(1+\nu _{\mathrm {2D} })}{2\nu _{\mathrm {2D} }}}$	${\tfrac {\lambda _{\mathrm {2D} }(1+\nu _{\mathrm {2D} })(1-\nu _{\mathrm {2D} })}{\nu _{\mathrm {2D} }}}$		${\tfrac {\lambda _{\mathrm {2D} }(1-\nu _{\mathrm {2D} })}{2\nu _{\mathrm {2D} }}}$		${\tfrac {\lambda _{\mathrm {2D} }}{\nu _{\mathrm {2D} }}}$	Cannot be used when $\nu _{\mathrm {2D} }=0\Leftrightarrow \lambda _{\mathrm {2D} }=0$
$(G_{\mathrm {2D} },\,\nu _{\mathrm {2D} })$	${\tfrac {G_{\mathrm {2D} }(1+\nu _{\mathrm {2D} })}{1-\nu _{\mathrm {2D} }}}$	$2G_{\mathrm {2D} }(1+\nu _{\mathrm {2D} })\,$	${\tfrac {2G_{\mathrm {2D} }\nu _{\mathrm {2D} }}{1-\nu _{\mathrm {2D} }}}$			${\tfrac {2G_{\mathrm {2D} }}{1-\nu _{\mathrm {2D} }}}$
$(G_{\mathrm {2D} },\,M_{\mathrm {2D} })$	$M_{\mathrm {2D} }-G_{\mathrm {2D} }$	${\tfrac {4G_{\mathrm {2D} }(M_{\mathrm {2D} }-G_{\mathrm {2D} })}{M_{\mathrm {2D} }}}$	$M_{\mathrm {2D} }-2G_{\mathrm {2D} }\,$		${\tfrac {M_{\mathrm {2D} }-2G_{\mathrm {2D} }}{M_{\mathrm {2D} }}}$