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Let's Face Complexity - New Bridges Between Physical and Social Sciences

Summer School at Lake Como School of Advanced Studies

Lake Como School of Advanced Studies - September 4 - 8, 2017

http://lfcs.lakecomoschool.org/

Complexity science has been developing rapidly during the past few decades, cutting across traditional scientific boundaries and embracing practically all branches of science, both in the realm of fundamental research as well as in practical applications. In all domains, complex systems are studied through mathematical analysis of experimental findings, advanced computer simulations, and increasingly large quantities of data, thereby stimulating revolutionary scientific breakthroughs. 

Physics is at the heart of all natural sciences and engineering, and complexity science is in this regard certainly no exception. In fact, complexity science has been one of the most vibrant fields of research that expand the boundaries and invigorate traditional areas of physics. Disciplines such as the physics of social systems, or sociophysics, and econophysics have emerged, and are now widely accepted as an integral part of physics.  These new disciplines are also founded on principles adhering to the following methodological components: (i) Empirical observation of phenomena, (ii) introduction of appropriate measurable quantities and relations between them, (iii) performance of reproducible experiments, and (iv) discovery of mathematical models that support  new theories.

This Summer School has been conceived as a series of lecture courses on complexity in physics in its broadest sense, including social sciences and economics. The program is thus strongly interdisciplinary, and therefore  researchers from other disciplines are very welcome and encouraged to attend as well. No previous knowledge of the relevant research fields is assumed beyond a bachelor’s degree.  The lecture courses are well suited for beginners, but will also include references to the most recent scientific results. The potential participants, therefore, are master course students, PhD students, postdocs, and other junior and senior researchers interested in these topics.

It should be emphasized that the speakers will not only  give lectures but will also interact with the students to form subgroups of those that are especially interested in their Complexity field and meet with them separately (at some suitably chosen times) to discuss their individual research problems. Also, the students will have the possibility to present their work in short reports (maximum eight talks, based on selection and invitation, 15 minutes each, on Wednesday 6 September afternoon, 4.30 – 6.30 pm).

For the more detailed scientific program of the lecture courses please see the abstracts with the basic literature available as pdf file.

Would you like to participate? See the registration page.