This publication, in two volumes, is devoted to the scientific impact of the work of Nobel Laureate, Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, one of the greatest scientists of the 20th century. It covers the important fields for which de Gennes was renowned: solid state (magnetism and superconductivity), macroscopic random media and percolation, supersolids, liquid crystals, polymers, adhesion and friction, and biophysics. The book brings together internationally renowned experts to contribute their perspectives on the significance of de Gennes works. They have each selected a definitive paper, which gives the state of the field at the time the paper was published, highlights the papers importance and provides an analysis of the development of the field right up to the modern day. The insightful perspectives of these scientists make the book both unique and intriguing. This is the second volume devoted to soft matter and biophysics. It is available as a set with "Volume I: Solid State and Liquid Crystals".
Preface (J Prost); Polymers, n=0 (T Witten); Dynamics of Entangled Polymers: the Three Key Ideas (M Rubinstein); Polyelectrolytes: The de Gennes Legacy (P Pincus & O Saleh); Polymers in Confined Geometries (K Guevorkian & F Brochard-Wyart); Adhesion and Friction (H Brown); An Approach to Cell Adhesion Inspired from Polymer Physics (P Nassoy); Spreading Made a Splash (L Bocquet).