Application of the Theory of Extreme Values in Fracture Problems

Abstract In this paper it is shown that the theory of extreme values is pertinent to the treatment of certain aspects of the fracture or break-down of materials used in modern technology. An attempt is made to integrate some of the results scattered through the technical literature. * Presented at the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Statistical Association, December 30 1947, in connection with the program on “The Theory of Extreme Values and Its Applications.”