Physics of complex systems: emergent properties and dynamical networks

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Physical, geophysical, chemical, living and man-made systems often show behaviors that cannot be understood by studying their building blocks or constituents to ever finer detail but that are emergent. The concept of emergence can be summarized by the statement that there exists an entity (e.g. an organism) which is more than the sum of its parts. Understanding emergent properties and complex patterns, their stability and the self-organization processes leading to them in non-equilibrium systems is one of the central quests of modern physics. Prominent examples of such systems include seismicity and human heart dynamics, neural signaling or biological signaling processes in general, with immense importance for society. A detailed understanding of seismicity is required to ensure successful seismic hazard assessment and to explore the possibility of successful earthquake prediction. A detailed understanding of the brain is essential to tackle brain related diseases such as epilepsy.***This research program on "Physics of complex systems: Emergent properties  and dynamical networks" will establish new general concepts and tools to characterize and understand systems far from equilibrium, will identify generic and universal properties by analyzing model systems and large scale data sets, and will collaborate with leading experimental and theoretical groups to develop accurate theories for specific classes of systems. The phenomena under consideration include in particular earthquake triggering and earthquake forecasting in natural and man-made settings as well as neuronal dynamics. Specifically, we expect that our research will close a critical knowledge gap in our understanding of the physics of earthquake-earthquake triggering, which is essential for progress in predicting large earthquakes. We also expect that the proposed research will allow us to develop probabilistic forecasting schemes suitable for seismicity induced by hydraulic fracturing for the first time. In addition, we anticipate that our unique study of the emergent properties in neuronal cultures will enable us to make significant contributions to drug development related to neuronal diseases such as epilepsy. This highlights the conceptual importance and far-reaching applications of this research program, promoting interdisciplinary approaches in general and the application of modern tools of statistical physics, nonlinear dynamics and complex network theory to fields outside the classical realm of physics in particular.*** At the same time, the research program will train highly qualified personnel and provide them with a unique, modern and interdisciplinary skill set benefiting the Canadian industry and Canada as a whole.**