Preisach models

Abstract

This chapter intends to familiarize the readers with the Preisach model of hysteresis. Since its publication in the 1930s of the last century (Preisach 1935), the model has been further developed and improved and many valuable facts have been accumulated (Everett and Whitton 1952; Everett 1954, 1955; Enderby 1956; Biorci and Pescetti 1958, 1959, 1966; Brown 1962; Bate 1962; Woodward and Della Torre 1960; Della Torre 1965; Damlanian and Visintin 1983; Visintin 1984; Barker et al. 1985; Brokate and Visintin 1989; Krasnosel’skii and Pokrovskii 1989). Here, no attempt of a complete presentation of the theory is made. Instead, we focus on a systematic introduction of the basic but essential concepts of Preisach model of hysteresis, which will help the reader to easily access this complex mathematical theory and prepare him/her for mathematical modeling of biological processes expressing non-linearities of hysteresis type.