Overview
This is a book about the physics of the collective behavior of grains, for example forming dense packings, being in suspension in fluids or simply forming a (complex) fluid by themselves. Such systems are extremely abundant both in natural, human and industrial environments - and fall within several very different scientific domains, ranging from soil mechanics to statistical physics. Each of the eleven chapters presents a particular aspect of granularity, starting from the geometry of irregular packings to computer modelling of flowing particles. They all emphasise the important role played by disorder.
This is a book about the physics of the collective behavior of grains, for example forming dense packings, being in suspension in fluids or simply forming a (complex) fluid by themselves. Such systems are extremely abundant both in natural, human and industrial environments - and fall within several very different scientific domains, ranging from soil mechanics to statistical physics. Each of the eleven chapters presents a particular aspect of granularity, starting from the geometry of irregular packings to computer modelling of flowing particles. They all emphasise the important role played by disorder.