Physics Department, Princeton University

Physics Colloquium: Eleni Katifori, Max-Planck Institute for Dynamics & Self-Organization - "The Geometry and Topology of Plant Structures"
The plant kingdom is rich with examples of tissues, organs and entire organisms that uniquely showcase elegant mathematical and physical principles. These principles frequently reflect the interplay between functional necessity and developmental constraints. We discuss two examples that showcase how plants utilize intricate topological and geometrical principles to optimize their function: the evolution of reticulate venation in modern leaves (modeled as a planar distribution networks) and the folding of aperturate pollen (modeled as curved shells). We will focus on pollen, and present some recent results concerning the quasi-inextensional deformation of intrinsically curved surfaces with symmetry of rotation.

Jadwin A10  ·  4:30 p.m.– 5:30 p.m.