Avalanches in dead and living systems: From solids to society

Par Francisco Perez Reche, Institute for Complex Systems and Mathematical Bioloy, University of Aberdeen

Mardi 22 Mai, 14h, Salle des séminaires (215), 2ème étage, Bâtiment A4N

Abstract :

The behaviour of many systems can be described in terms of a (typically large) number of elementary units and their interactions. Examples range from solids to the human body and society. A small change in the environment of such systems may lead to avalanche-like responses of the system associated with sudden changes of state in a large number of elementary units. In the last decades, network models have become essential abstractions of such systems. They are applications of graph theory in which a set of vertices (or nodes) represent elementary units and a set of edges (or links) gives the interaction between them. In this talk, I will present prototype network models for avalanches in solid-solid phase transitions, capillary condensation in porous media and avalanche-like phenomena in social contagion.

 

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