Mahadevan, LakshminarayananWei, Z2014-06-062014-06-062014Wei, Zhiyan. 2014. Studies in discrete and continuum mechanics. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University.http://dissertations.umi.com/gsas.harvard:11582http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:12274548We have used a combination of theory and computation to investigate collective aspects of discrete mechanical systems. The analysis involves considerations from geometry, elasticity and hydrodynamics. We have developed continuum theories to describe these systems, in the spirit of compressing information by mathematical abstraction from the discrete description.en-USApplied mathematicsThesis or Dissertation2014-06-06