Summary and future directions:

The objective of this course was to show how one can use well developed theoretical tools of mechanics in analyzing variety of problems related to soft deformable materials, e.g. indentation of a block of gel, separation of adhered surfaces, bending of thin plates and sheets, bending and torsion of rods and so on. We touched upon also the emerging areas of soft mechanics in elasto-capillary effect, mechanics of networks, elasticity of sub-cellular filaments. Through these discussions we have shown that basic principles in elasticity can be implemented in the context of large variety of problems which can enhance our understanding of various natural phenomena. There tools will be useful also in understanding several other problems in these areas.