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Finite plasticity in $P^T P$

We discuss a finite-plasticity model based on the symmetric tensor $P^T P$ instead of the classical plastic strain $P$. Such a model structure arises from assuming that the material behavior is invariant with respect to frame transformations of the intermediate configuration. The resulting variational model is lower-dimensional, symmetric, and based solely on the reference configuration. We discuss the existence of energetic solutions both at the material-point level and for the quasistatic boundary-value problem. These solutions are constructed as limits of time discretizations. Eventually, the linearization of the model for small deformations is ascertained via a rigorous evolutive-$Γ$-convergence argument.