Description |
Statistical mechanics and thermodynamics provide nowadays a comprehensive picture of the properties of equilibrium and near-equilibrium systems. Yet most phenomena occur out of equilibrium – for example nonequilibrium is essential for sustaining life or fluid motions – and our understanding of nonequilibrium systems is comparatively poorer and limited. At the same time, the revolution in information technologies has provided a wealth of quantitative data on complex systems whose fundamental laws are yet unknown to us. These two related domains are one of the great frontiers of contemporary science, both from the theoretical standpoint and for a multitude of practical applications. This research area has a strong interdisciplinary flavor and has special relevance for physics, geosciences, and life sciences.
The understanding of complex, high-dimensional and non-equilibrium systems raises many challenges:
· How does a complex system respond to perturbations?· How to construct and evaluate models across a hierarchical ladder of complexity? · How to deal with multiple scales in space and in time? · How to test theories and models against limited and often noisy observational data? · How to merge effectively models and data? · How to describe and predict large fluctuations and extreme events? · How do patterns emerge in the self-organization of complex systems? · How to study fluctuations in reversible and irreversible systems? The workshop aims to approach these problems taking advantage of results, tools, and ideas coming from a diverse range of scientific disciplines, with the goal of advancing our knowledge and foster cross fertilization. Speakers include: M. Baiesi, Italy L. Biferale, Italy G. Biroli, France A. Celani, Italy S. Ciliberto, France S. Cocco, France L. Cugliandolo, France L. De Cruz, Belgium E. Domany, U.S.A. E. Frey, Germany K. Gawedsky, France A. Gritsun, Russian Federation R. Harries, U.K. A. Jelic, Italy F. Kucharski, Italy T. Kuna, U.K. J. Kurchan, France A. Laio, Italy B. Machta, U.S.A. C. Maes, Belgium C. Mejia-Monasterio, Spain I. Nemenmann, U.S.A. A. Politi, U.K. D. Ruelle, France S. Sarkar, U.S.A. D. Schwab, U.S.A. U. Seifert, Germany T. Sharpee, U.S.A. S. Suweis, Italy M. Transtrum, U.S.A. E. Vanden-Eijnde, U.S.A. S. Vannitsem, Belgium A. Vulpiani, Italy J. Yorke, U.S.A. |