This proceedings volume contains 39 papers presented at the IUTAM Sym posium on Variations of Domains and Free Boundary Problems in Solid Mechanics, held in Paris from April 22nd to 25th 1997, at the Ecole des Mines and the Ecole Poly technique. This symposium offered an opportunity for researchers from all engineering disciplines and applied mathematics to review the state of the art and to identify new trends and new features in the field. Mechanical modelling, mathematical discussion and numerical resolution have been the primary goals of the meeting. Principal subjects of discussion...