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Focuses on the physical principles and quantitative methods of describing the mechanical behavior of soft materials, particularly those of biological relevance (polymer networks, lipids, cell membranes). It has strong mathematics components, including an introduction to both variational calculus and differential geometry. Students will learn rigorous treatment of biological/soft matter topics relevant in current research, such as network and membrane mechanics, adhesion, and entropic effects. Practical exercises in numerical simulation are integrated into the course. Course Information: Prerequisite: Either TAM 541 or CHBE 521 or PHYS 508 or consent of instructor.