Abstract:

Heterogeneity is becoming more and more recognized as a key element of many Complex Systems.
In this talk an overview is presented of various systems ranging across very different fields, in which the diversity of the constituent units play a key
role [1].
The topics presented are of current interest in the research project  “The Role of Diversity in Complex Systems” started at the beginning of this year at KBFI.
After an interdisciplinary overview on diversity-induced effects such as Diversity-Induced Resonance [2], resonant traffic dynamics [3] and opinion dynamics [4], etc., further examples of (biophysical) condensed matter topics are discussed, related to neuronal assemblies [5], molecular biology of DNA [6], coupled bistable systems [7], and quantum light harvesting mechanisms in photosynthetic systems [8].

[1] L.F. Lafuerza & R. Toral, Scientific Reports 3, 1189 (2013)

[2] J.C.Tessone et al., Diversity-Induces Resonance, Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 194101 (2006)

[3] T. Nagatani, Traffic behavior in a mixture of different vehicles, Physica A 284 (2000) 405

[4] C.J.Tessone & R.Toral, Diversity-induced resonance in a model for opinion formation, Eur. Phys. J. B 71, 549 (2009)

[5] T. Perez et al., The constructive role of diversity on the global response of coupled neuron systems, Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. A368, 5619 (2010).

[6] O. Benichou et al., Intermittent search strategies, Rev. Mod. Phys. 83 (2011).

[7] R. Toral et al., Collective effects induced by diversity in extended systems, J. Phys. IV France 1 (2006).