Physics of Continuous Matter: Exotic and Everyday Phenomena in the Macroscopic World, Second Edition provides an introduction to the basic ideas of continuum physics and their application to a wealth of macroscopic phenomena. The text focuses on the many approximate methods that offer insight into the rich physics hidden in fundamental continuum mechanics equations. Like its acclaimed predecessor, this second edition introduces mathematical tools on a "need-to-know" basis.

New to the Second EditionThis edition includes three new chapters on elasticity of slender rods, energy, and entropy. It also offers more margin drawings and photographs and improved images of simulations. Along with reorganizing much of the material, the author has revised many of the physics arguments and mathematical presentations to improve clarity and consistency. The collection of problems at the end of each chapter has been expanded as well. These problems further develop the physical and mathematical concepts presented.

With worked examples throughout, this book clearly illustrates both qualitative and quantitative physics reasoning. It emphasizes the importance in understanding the physical principles behind equations and the conditions underlying approximations. A companion website provides a host of ancillary materials, including software programs, color figures, and additional problems.

About the Author

B. Lautrup is a professor in theoretical physics at the Niels Bohr International Academy in the Niels Bohr Institute under the University of Copenhagen. He is also chairman of the Center for the Philosophy of Nature and Science Studies at the University of Copenhagen. His research interests include complex systems, fluid mechanics, and network theory.

Reviews

"With its elegant presentation and comprehensive treatment of the subject, Physics of Continuous Matter does a fantastic job of illustrating how the physics of the classical world around us is profound, beautiful, and often counterintuitive."
-Sujit S. Datta, Pure and Applied Geophysics, 170 (2013)

"I completely agree with the reviewer of the first edition that this book provides an excellent, modern introduction to the field of continuum mechanics. The second edition has been streamlined, and the structure of the presentation has been improved. ... on its best way to become a classic text in the field. The text is exceptionally clear and well structured, and the breadth of the fields from which the author chooses his illustrating examples is impressive. ... I can warmly recommend this book to everyone with an interest in continuum mechanics, lecturers and students alike. Lecturers will find various historical anecdotes, innumerable examples and applications, and a modern account of almost all basic aspects of continuum mechanics that will provide an excellent foundation for a lecture course on this subject. Students can benefit from the author's deep physical insight into many difficult problems as well as his mastery of mathematical analysis."
-Thomas Peters, Contemporary Physics, January 2013

Praise for the First Edition:"... this book satisfies with great style. Although it starts from the very beginning of the subject, it also reaches advanced topics, but without discontinuities along the way. ... A good introductory course could be based on this material. ...The emphasis is on understanding the problems and obtaining analytical solutions, but there are two chapters on computational methods, for static elasticity and for fluid dynamics. ... This is an excellent text, which ought to inspire students and teachers alike with the richness of behaviour that is contained within a few continuum equations - equations that are easy to derive but often far from easy to solve. The subject may have its roots in the nineteenth century, but this book shows that it is still alive, relevant and challenging in the twenty-first."
-Tony Harker, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Physical Sciences Educational Reviews, Vol. 7, Issue 1, May 2006

"...a superb text on continuum theory and applications with absolutely outstanding graphics. The graphs and figures in the side panels I expect will be extremely helpful...The book is at the same time introductory and advanced, and the range of topics is exceptionally wide."
-Professor Richard Lovelace, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA

"...perhaps the only modern advanced undergraduate introduction to the subject...put together very elegantly and intelligently, illustrated by many examples from geophysics, astrophysics and other fields...a pleasure to teach. For a student who has already encountered solid and fluid mechanics, the text offers rigor and breadth; nothing is asserted, everything is derived."
-Predrag Cvitanovic, Glen P. Robinson Chair in Nonlinear Sciences, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology

Book Information
ISBN 9781420077001
Author B. Lautrup
Format Hardback
Page Count 696
Imprint CRC Press Inc
Publisher Taylor & Francis Inc
Weight(grams) 1816g