Outreach

Statistical Physics, which was born as an attempt to explain thermodynamic properties of systems from its atomic and molecular components, has evolved into a solid body of knowledge that allows for the understanding of macroscopic collective phenomena. One of the largest successes of Statistical Physics has been the development of paradigms, stylized simplified models that capture the essential ingredients, for a wide variety of phenomena. These paradigms have allowed not only the understanding of the systems by themselves but also that many apparently different behaviors are just different manifestations of the same collective phenomena. The tools developed by the Statistical Physics together with the Theory of Dynamical Systems are of key importance in the understanding of Complex Systems which are characterized by the emergent and collective phenomena of many interacting units. In particular the understanding of small systems, in which fluctuations are typically large, benefits from Statistical Physics body of knowledge. In addition, small systems fuel the development of new techniques and provide the ground to test predictions at a very deep level.

While the traditional basic body of knowledge of Statistical Physics is well described in textbooks and typically at an undergraduate or master level, the applications to Complex and Small Systems are well beyond the scope of those textbooks. The Summer School on Statistical Physics of Complex and Small Systems series, open to master and PhD students and young postdocs world-wide, aims at bridging this gap.

Following the same spirit and concept of the precedent succesful editions (Palma de Mallorca 2011, 2013 and Benasque 2012) the 4th edition will take place from September 8 to 19, 2014. During these two weeks there will be a total of six courses (three courses per week):

The School is coordinated by the Topical Group on Statistical and Non Linear Physics (GEFENOL) of the Real Sociedad Española de Física.

GEFENOL's main objective is to promote the statistical and non-linear physics and any scientific and academic exchange among research groups working in these disciplines.

Program

Over two weeks the students will learn aspects of physics stochastic thermodynamics, statistical mechanics computational molecular evolution, complexity and chaos and complex networks. More information: http://www.gefenol.es/school2014

Among the faculty are: Pedro Tarazona, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid; Arkady Pikovsky, University of Potsdam, Germany; Emilio Hernandez-Garcia, IFISC (CSIC-UIB); Daniel Walgraef, FNRS (Belgium) and IFISC (CSIC-UIB); George Ortín, University of Barcelona; Victor Eguíluz, IFISC (CSIC-UIB).

Scientific committee

• Pere Colet, IFISC (CSIC-UIB)
• Álvaro Corral, CRM, Barcelona
• Jesús Gómez-Gardenes, BIFI, Universidad de Zaragoza
• Juan Manuel López, IFCA (CSIC-U. Cantabria)
• Diego Maza,  Universidad de Navarra
• Raúl Toral, IFISC (CSIC-UIB)

Nota premsa UIB