This introductory text develops the fundamental physics of the behavior
of granular materials. It covers the basic properties of flow, friction,
and fluidization of uniform granular materials; discusses mixing and
segregation of heterogeneous materials (the famous "brazil-nut
problem"); and concludes with an introduction to numerical models. The
presentation begins with simple experiments and uses their results to
build concepts and theorems about materials whose behavior is often
quite counter-intuitive; presenting in a unified way the background
needed to understand current work in the field. Developed for students
at the University of Paris, the text will be suitable for advanced
undergraduates and beginning graduates; while also being of interest to
researchers and engineers just entering the field.