Preface: Special issue on rate-independent evolutions and hysteresis modelling

The interest in hysteresis and rate-independent phenomena is shared by scientists\udwith a great variety of dierent backgrounds. We can encounter these processes\udin several situations of common life: for instance in elasto-plasticity, ferromag-\udnetism, shape-memory alloys, phase transitions. Beyond physics, hysteresis and\udrate-independent phenomena appear also in engineering, biology, economics as well\udas in many other settings, playing an important role in many applications. The com-\udplexity arising in these elds necessarily requires a joint contribution of experts with\uddierent backgrounds and skills. Therefore, only synergy and cooperation among\udthese several people can lead to concrete advances in the technological capabilities\udof our society.\udThis special issue of Discrete and Continuous Dynamical Systems is devoted to\udthe latest advances and trends in the modelling and in the analysis of this family\udof complex phenomena. In particular, we gathered contributions from dierent\udelds of science (mathematical analysis, mathematical physics, engineering) with\udthe intent of presenting an updated picture of current research directions, oering\uda new and interdisciplinary perspective in the study of these processes.\udMotivated by the Spring School on Rate-independent Evolutions and Hysteresis\udModelling, held at the Politecnico di Milano and University of Milano on May 27-31,\ud2013, this special issue contains dierent kinds of original contributions: some of\udthem originate from the courses held in that occasion and from the discussions they\udstimulated, but are here presented in a new perspective; some others instead are\udoriginal contributions in related topics. All the papers are written in the clearest\udpossible language, accessible also to students and non-experts of the eld, with the\udintent to attract and introduce them to this topic