Fluid dynamics

What it covers

Fluid flows are all around us, from waves on the beach to microorganisms navigating their environment, and mathematics allows us to make precise and useful predictions about how they behave. In this unit you will develop mathematical tools for describing, simplifying and solving problems in fluid motion. You will derive the governing Navier-Stokes equations, find exact solutions in tractable cases, and learn systematic methods for reducing them when the geometry or physical parameters of a problem allow. You will see familiar tools from your mathematical training reappear in a physical setting, encounter new ones as the problems demand them, and learn to reason about what solutions should look like and why.

Assessment

When and where