Course directors: 

Melanie Mitchell, Santa Fe Institute

Imre Kondor, Eötvös Loránd University

Resource persons: 

Patrick Hayden, University of Oxford, UK

András Kroó, Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics

NEW - course schedule see at http://www.santafe.edu/sfi/education/csss/summerSchool01.html 

Course objectives

The goal of the summer school is to provide an intensive introduction to the study of complex behavior in mathematical, physical, and living systems, with particular emphasis on mathematical and computational modelling techniques. The school presents the core concepts and techniques of complex systems, together with the work in progress of researchers applying these ideas to specific problems. This training is designed to provide a solid understanding of traditional disciplines combined with a new view of complexity. In this way the school is intended to attract, stimulate, and educate the best young scientists as they begin to define their own research programs.

Syllabus

During the four weeks of the school, participants are introduced to the basic ideas and techniques central to research in complex systems. The school begins with a review of mathematics ranging from calculus and differential equations to probability and statistics.

Week 1 will consist of an intensive series of lectures and laboratories introducing fundamental ideas and tools of complex systems research. The topics will include non-linear dynamics and pattern formation, statistical mechanics and stochastic processes, information theory and computation theory, adaptive computation, computer modelling tools, and specific applications of these core topics to various disciplines.

Weeks 2 and 3 will consist of lectures and panel discussions on current research in complex systems. The topics are:

Week 4 will be devoted to completion and presentation of student projects.

Mathematics Review: András Kroó, Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Hungary

Nonlinear Dynamics and Pattern Formation: Zoltán Rácz, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary

Statistical Physics and Stochastic Processes: Mark Newman, Santa Fe Institute and Imre Kondor, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary

Information Theory and Measures of Complexity: Melanie Mitchell, Santa Fe Institute, USA

Theory of Computation: Cristopher Moore, University of New Mexico, USA

Adaptive Computation: Melanie Mitchell, Santa Fe Institute, USA

Nonstandard Approaches to Computation:

Patrick Hayden, University of Oxford, UK

Grzegorz Rozenberg, Leiden University, The Netherlands

Hava Sieglemann, Technion, Israel

Origin and Early Evolution of Life:

Erik Schultes, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA

Peter Schuster, University of Vienna, Austria

Eörs Szathmáry, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary

Self-Organization and Collective Behavior:

Imre Kondor, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary

Gábor Vattay, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary

Tamás Vicsek, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary