Book excerpt: Dislocations and Plastic Deformation deals with dislocations and plastic deformation, and specifically discusses topics ranging from deformation of single crystals and dislocations in the lattice to the fundamentals of the continuum theory, the properties of point defects in crystals, multiplication of dislocations, and partial dislocations. The effect of lattice defects on the physical properties of metals is also considered. Comprised of nine chapters, this book begins by providing a short and, where possible, precise explanation of dislocation theory. The first six chapters discuss the properties of dislocations and point defects both in crystals and in an elastic continuum. The reader is then introduced to some applications of dislocation theory that show, for instance, the difficulties involved in understanding the hardening of alloys and the work-hardening of pure metals. This book concludes by analyzing the effect of heat treatment on the defect structure in metals. This text will be of interest to students and practitioners in the field of physics.