1:30pm
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3:00pm |
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"The Physics of Complex Systems: Challenges and Opportunities"
(Seminar/Conference)
seminar by Beate Schmittmann / Virginia Tech
While it is difficult to provide a succinct definition of what constitutes a complex system, it is quite easy to identify some common features, such as the presence of many interacting degrees of freedom and the emergence of unexpected collective behaviors. Systems of this type abound across all of science and engineering. To name just two examples, all living systems and all human social organizations are clearly very complex and dynamic.
In this talk, I will discuss a few lessons that we have learnt in the past, drawing mainly from our understanding of equilibrium statistical physics. In the second part of the talk, I will discuss a very fundamental challenge of current research in physics, namely, how to develop a comprehensive theory of complex systems, focusing especially on phenomena far from equilibrium. The impact on other disciplines is potentially huge, paralleling the importance of classical thermodynamics. Opportunities for collaborations and funding will be discussed.
More information...
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540-231-1929