The Applied Math Lab

We are interested in understanding the organization of matter in space and time, particularly at the scale observable by our unaided senses. We use a combination of techniques to pursue this, ranging from simple observations of phenomena to quantitative experiments and theory. Many of the topics that we work on start with our everyday experiences of the mundane, which by its very nature is robust. The challenge is to abstract out some principle from a phenomenon that is of relevance far beyond the particular manifestation of it. We have a small but growing laboratory for tinkering around while characterizing macroscopic living and nonliving systems.

Recent Publications

• How the cucumber tendril coils and overwinds
  S.J. Gerbode, J.R. Puzey, A.G. McCormick, L. Mahadevan, Science 337, 1087, 2012.
• A biophysical indicator of vaso-occlusive risk in sickle cell disease
  D. K. Wood, A. Soriano, L. Mahadevan, J. M. Higgins, S. N. Bhatia, Science Translational Medicine, 4:123, 2012.
• Minimal surfaces bounded by elastic lines
  L. Giomi and L. Mahadevan,Proceedings of the Royal Society of London (A), 2012. doi: 10.1098/rspa.2011.0627
• Balancing on tightropes and slacklines
  P. Paoletti and L. Mahadevan, Journal of the Royal Society - Interface, doi:10.1098/rsif.2012.0077, 2012.
• How things get stuck: kinetics, elastohydrodynamics, and soft adhesion
  M. Mani, A. Gopinath, and L. Mahadevan, Physical Review Letters, 108, 226104, 2012.
• Soft catenaries
  K. Kamrin and L. Mahadevan, Journal of Fluid Mechanics 691, 165-177.
• On the growth and form of the gut
  T. Savin, N.A. Kurpios, A.E. Shyer, P. Florescu, H. Liang, L. Mahadevan & C.J. Tabin, Nature 476:57-62, 2011. 
• Growth, geometry and mechanics of the blooming lily
  H-Y Liang and L. Mahadevan, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108, 5516-21, 2011.
• Unfolding the sulcus
  E. Hohlfeld and L. Mahadevan, Physical Review Letters, 106, 105702, 2011.
• Influence of feedback on the stochastic evolution of simple climate systems.
  L. Mahadevan and J. Deutch, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London (A), 466, 993, 2010.
  
• Geometry, mechanics and electronics of singular structures in graphene
  V. Pereira, H-Y Liang, A. Castro-Neto and L. Mahadevan, Physical Review Letters, 105, 156603, 2010.
• Why subduction zones are curved
  L. Mahadevan, R. Bendick and H-Y Liang, Tectonics, 29,TC6002, 2010.
• Nonequilibrium scale selection mechanism for columnar jointing
  L. Goehring L. Mahadevan, and S. Morris, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA), 106, 387, 2009.
• Self-organization of a mesoscale bristle into ordered hierarchical helical assemblies
  B. Pokroy, S. Kang, L. Mahadevan, and J. Aizenberg, Science, 323, 237, 2009. 
• Tissue Tectonics: morphogenetic strain rates, cell shape change and intercalation
  G. Blanchard, A. Kabla, L. Butler, B. Sanson, N. Gorfinkiel, L. Mahadevan and R. Adams, Nature Methods, 6(6), 458-64, 2009.
• A generalized theory of viscous and inviscid flutter
  S. Mandre and L. Mahadevan, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London (A), doi:10.1098/rspa.2009.0328, 2009.
• Elasticity of floppy and stiff random networks
  M. Wyart, H. Liang, A. Kabla,and L. Mahadevan, Physical Review Letters, 101, 215501, 2008.
• Limbless undulatory propulsion on land
  Z. Guo and L. Mahadevan, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA), 105, 3179, 2008.
• Sickle cell vaso-occlusion and rescue in a microfluidic device
  J. Higgins, D. Eddington, S. Bhatia and L. Mahadevan, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA), 104, 20496, 2007. 
• The universal dynamics of cell spreading
  D. Cuvelier, M. Thery, Y.-S. Chu, S. Dufour, J-P. Thiery, M. Bornens, P. Nassoy, and L. Mahadevan, Current Biology , 17, 694, 2007. 
  
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