  A reduced model for large deformations of prestrained plates consists of
minimizing a second order bending energy subject to a nonconvex metric
constraint. The former involves the second fundamental form of the middle plate
and the later is a restriction on its first fundamental form. We discuss a
formal derivation of this reduced model along with an equivalent formulation
that makes it amenable computationally. We propose a local discontinuous
Galerkin (LDG) finite element approach that hinges on the notion of
reconstructed Hessian. We design discrete gradient flows to minimize the
ensuing nonconvex problem and to find a suitable initial deformation. We
present several insightful numerical experiments, some of practical interest,
and assess various computational aspects of the approximation process.
