Widespread interest in macroscopic phenomena in liquid crystals stemming from applications in displays and devices has led to a need for a rigorous yet accessible text suitable for graduate students, whatever their scientific background. Filling that need, this book introduces the basic continuum theory for nematic liquid crystals in equilibria, then proceeds to simple applications of this theory. It includes a discussion of electrical and magnetic field effects that give rise to Freedericksz transitions, followed by an account of dynamic theory and elementary viscometry of nemantics. Background mathematics, such as Cartesian tensors and some variational calculus, are presented in the appendices.

Introduction. Static Theory of Nematics.. Applications of Static Theory of Nematics.. Dynamic Theory of Nematics. Applications of Dynamic Theory of Nematics. Theory of Smectics. Appendices.