Soft mechanics: Design and Applications

Catalog description

We will discuss some applications of soft mechanics to study various complex systems. There will be weekly presentations by students and readings of several classic book chapters and papers from the literature of applied mathematics, soft matter physics, and engineering. Examples of topics include elasticity, fluid mechanics, biophysics, and biomechanics, along with their applications to societal challenges such as epidemiology and health. Each student will work on a project throughout the quarter and is expected to write a research-like manuscript on the investigated topic. The final manuscript could be a review and not (necessarily) original new work.