Venue: Emmy Noether Seminar Room
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM
First Meeting: 04 August 2026
Prerequisites: None; no prior knowledge of biology will be assumed.
Description: The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the central concepts and methods of biological physics. We will begin with foundational topics such as stochastic processes, polymer and membrane mechanics, biological fluid flows, pattern formation, and active matter, before moving to other questions involving nonlinear dynamics, biological decision-making, energy consumption, information processing, and evolution. Throughout the course, we will focus on how relatively simple physical models can reveal how complex living systems function, how theory can be connected to experiments, and how ideas from nonequilibrium statistical physics, dynamical systems, and information theory can contribute to open problems in biology.
Syllabus:
A. Random walks in biology (4 lectures)
B. Polymer mechanics (3 lectures)
C. Membrane mechanics (2 lectures)
D. Biological fluid flows (4 lectures)
E. Pattern formation (3 lectures)
F. Active matter (3 lectures)
G. Nonlinear dynamics in biology (5 lectures)
H. Decision-making, energy consumption and information processing (5 lectures)
I. Evolution (4 lectures)
Intended learning outcomes:
1. Formulate and analyze simple quantitative models of biological phenomena using ideas from stochastic processes, continuum mechanics, soft matter and nonlinear dynamics.
2. Develop an understanding of how nonequilibrium processes, information processing, thermodynamics and evolutionary dynamics shape the organization and behavior of living systems.
3. Critically read research in biological physics and understand a variety of analytical and computational methods used to explore biologically motivated problems.
Course evaluation: There will be two exams, a mid-term (30%) and final (30%), as well as HW problem sets (40%).
- Teacher: Brato Chakrabarti
- Teacher: Akshit Goyal