Editorial: Challenges and solutions in GW calculations for complex systems

We report key advances in the area of GW calculations, review the available software implementations and define standardization criteria to render the comparison between GW calculations from different codes meaningful, and identify future major challenges in the area of quasiparticle calculations. This Topical Issue should be a reference point for further developments in the field.     

Understanding,creating, and managing complex techno-socio-economic systems: Challenges and perspectives

This contribution reflects on the comments of Peter Allen [1], Bikas K. Chakrabarti [2], Péter érdi [3], Juval Portugali [4], Sorin Solomon [5], and Stefan Thurner [6] on three White Papers (WP) of the EU Support Action Visioneer (www.visioneer.ethz.ch). These White Papers are entitled “From Social Data Mining to Forecasting Socio-Economic Crises” (WP 1) [7], “From Social Simulation to Integrative System Design” (WP 2) [8], and “How to Create an Innovation Accelerator” (WP 3) [9]. In our reflections, the need and feasibility of a “Knowledge Accelerator” is further substantiated by fundamental considerations and recent events around the globe. newpara The Visioneer White Papers propose research to be carried out that will improve our understanding of complex techno-socio-economic systems and their interaction with the environment. Thereby, they aim to stimulate multi-disciplinary collaborations between ICT, the social sciences, and complexity science. Moreover, they suggest combining the potential of massive real-time data, theoretical models, large-scale computer simulations and participatory online platforms. By doing so, it would become possible to explore various futures and to expand the limits of human imagination when it comes to the assessment of the often counter-intuitive behavior of these complex techno-socio-economic-environmental systems. In this contribution, we also highlight the importance of a pluralistic modeling approach and, in particular, the need for a fruitful interaction between quantitative and qualitative research approaches. newpara In an appendix we briefly summarize the concept of the FuturICT flagship project, which will build on and go beyond the proposals made by the Visioneer White Papers. EU flagships are ambitious multi-disciplinary high-risk projects with a duration of at least 10 years amounting to an envisaged overall budget of 1 billion EUR [10]. The goal of the FuturICT flagship initiative is to understand and manage complex, global, socially interactive systems, with a focus on sustainability and resilience.     

Quantum transport in complex systems

We derive the influence function and the effective dynamics of a quantum systems coupled to a chaotic environment, using very general parametric and banded random matrices to describe the quantum properties of a chaotic bath. We find that only in certain limits the thermalization can result from the environment. We study the general transport problems including escape, fusion and tunneling (fission). Presented by D. Kusnezov at the International Conference on “Atomic Nuclei and Metallic Clusters”, Prague, September 1–5, 1997.     

New structures in complex systems

Networks represent a major modelling tool in complex systems and the natural sciences. When considering systems of interacting units, networks can only model pair interactions as represented by edges between nodes. This is a severe limitation when one tries to model higher order interactions, like triple interactions etc. Some higher order interactions may be reduced to systems of pair interactions, but as we will illustrate there are, for example, triple interactions which are not reducible to pair interactions for quite deep mathematical reasons (Borromean structures). Therefore there is a need for a new kind of structure extending and encompassing networks in such a way that we can describe and model truly higher order structures. We suggest that this can be done by the concept of a Hyperstructure as introduced in [1]. Hyperstructures encompass networks and hierarchies and incorporate the phenomenon of levelwise emergence. They represent a design principle for higher order structures. It is natural to ask how hyperstructures occur in the natural sciences and complex systems and how they may be synthesized. We will discuss this, and relate it to recent work in synthetic chemistry, nuclear physics, quantum mechanical many body systems and ultracold gases. Furthermore, we will introduce the notion of hyperstructured (higher order) molecular architectures and hyperstructured (higher order) materials. We will present suggestions and conjectures on these matters.     

Chaotic systems in complex phase space

This paper examines numerically the complex classical trajectories of the kicked rotor and the double pendulum. Both of these systems exhibit a transition to chaos, and this feature is studied in complex phase space. Additionally, it is shown that the short-time and long-time behaviours of these two PT-symmetric dynamical models in complex phase space exhibit strong qualitative similarities.     

Synchronization and emergence in complex systems

We show how novel behaviour can emerge in complex systems at the global level through synchronization of the activities of their constituent units. Two mechanisms are suggested for the emergence, namely non-diffusive coupling and time delays. In this way, simple units can synchronize to display complex dynamics, or conversely, simple dynamics may arise from complex constituents.     

Multiphoton coherent control in complex systems

Control of multiphoton transitions is demonstrated for a multilevel system by generalizing the instantaneous phase of any chirped pulse as individual terms of a Taylor series expansion. In the case of a simple two-level system, all odd terms in the series lead to population inversion while the even terms lead to self-induced transparency. The results hold for multiphoton transitions that do not have any lower-order photon resonance or any intermediate virtual state dynamics within the laser pulse width.     

Coordinated aggregation in complex systems:

The study of the topic of guided aggregation in biology brings together decision making, collective motion and the dynamical interplay between individuals and groups. At the same time it meets statistical mechanics and the physics of complex systems in a new paradigmatic thinking. We propose a research platform for implementation and for undertaking systematic studies of coordinated aggregation, in a truly multi- and inter-disciplinary fashion.     

Turbulent-like diffusion in complex quantum systems

We study a quantum particle propagating through a “quantum mechanically chaotic” background, described by parametric random matrices with only short range spatial correlations. The particle is found to exhibit turbulent-like diffusion under very general situations, without the a priori introduction of power law noise or scaling in the background properties.     

Theory of tunnel ionization in complex systems

A quasianalytical theory of tunnel ionization is developed that is applicable to general complex systems, such as large molecules. Our analysis reveals strong deviations from conventional tunnel ionization theories, dependent upon the system's geometry, angular momentum, and polarizability. A comparison of our theory with recent C(60) ionization experiments yields reasonable agreement.     

Tests of time-reversal invariance in complex systems

The random-matrix theory for the effects of time-reversal non-invariance (TRNI) on energy level, strength and cross-section fluctuations in complex systems is reviewed. Applied to the compound-nuclear data this gives bounds on rms TRNI matrix elements. Using a fluctuation-free form of statistical spectroscopy bounds on α, the relative magnitude of the TRNI nucleon-nucleon interaction, is deduced. In all three cases we find α ≲ (2–3) × 10⁻³ at high (∼ 99%) statistical confidence. Suggestions are made about experiments which should improve the bounds.     

ZnO lasing in complex systems with tetrapods

A ZnO structure in the form of a core–shell wire was grown with a modified vapour transport and condensation method. The wire consists of a dense core which may play the role of a waveguide and a shell formed mainly from tetrapod-type crystallites. The high optical quality of the produced ZnO material is confirmed by continuous wave photoluminescence (PL) analysis demonstrating that low- temperature PL is related to the recombination of bound excitons, while room-temperature PL is due to free excitons. Good quality of the crystal structure is demonstrated also by the Raman spectrum. The shell of the wire exhibits room-temperature laser action due to lasing modes in tetrapods under the excitation by nanosecond laser pulses. The nature of the lasing modes is discussed. A simplified model for one of the possible modes is suggested.     

Evolution of functional subnetworks in complex systems

Links in a realistic network may have different functions, which makes the network virtually a combination of some small-size functional subnetworks. Here, by a model of coupled phase oscillators, we investigate how such functional subnetworks are evolved and developed according to the network structure and dynamics. In particular, we study the case of evolutionary clustered networks in which the function type of each link (attractive or repulsive coupling) is adaptively updated according to the local network dynamics. It is found that during the process of system evolution, the network is gradually stabilized into a particular form in which the attractive (repulsive) subnetwork consists only of the intralinks (interlinks). Based on the observed properties of subnetwork evolution, we also propose a new algorithm for network partition which, compared with the conventional algorithms, is distinguished by its convenient operation and fast computing speed.     

Vibro-acoustic analysis of complex systems

A general method is presented for predicting the ensemble average steady-state response of complex vibro-acoustic systems that contain subsystems with uncertain, or random, properties. The method combines deterministic and statistical techniques to produce a non-iterative hybrid method that incorporates equations of dynamic equilibrium and power balance. The method is derived explicitly without reference to statistical energy analysis (SEA); however, it is seen that the wave approach to SEA can be viewed as a special case of the proposed method. The proposed method provides a flexible way to account for necessary deterministic details in a vibro-acoustic analysis without requiring that an entire system be modeled deterministically. The method therefore provides a potential solution to the mid-frequency problem (in which a system is neither entirely deterministic nor entirely statistical). The application of the method is illustrated with a numerical validation example.     

Editorial: Ecological complex systems

Main aim of this topical issue is to report recent advances in noisy nonequilibrium processes useful to describe the dynamics of ecological systems and to address the mechanisms of spatio-temporal pattern formation in ecology both from the experimental and theoretical points of view. This is in order to understand the dynamical behaviour of ecological complex systems through the interplay between nonlinearity, noise, random and periodic environmental interactions. Discovering the microscopic rules and the local interactions which lead to the emergence of specific global patterns or global dynamical behaviour and the noise’s role in the nonlinear dynamics is an important, key aspect to understand and then to model ecological complex systems.     

Bifurcation criterion of faults in complex nonlinear systems

In this paper, we introduce bifurcation theory into complex nonlinear systems. We adopt a novel approach to identify faults in electric circuit systems. After accidents occur without warning, with large numbers of complicated and high-precision calculations, we use bifurcation results of corresponding amplitude and frequency (period) to analyze their universal characteristics. Based on super attractive parameters, we have got the universal constant 4.6692… . The results from the present investigation imply that each fault in an electric circuit system must correspond to one or more bifurcation locations, which will provide a bifurcation criterion of faults in complex nonlinear systems. This research will have a significant theoretical value and engineering practical significance.     

Memory effects in complex materials and nanoscale systems

Memory effects are ubiquitous in nature and are particularly relevant at the nanoscale where the dynamical properties of electrons and ions strongly depend on the history of the system, at least within certain time scales. We review here the memory properties of various materials and systems which appear most strikingly in their non-trivial, time-dependent resistive, capacitative and inductive characteristics. We describe these characteristics within the framework of memristors, memcapacitors and meminductors, namely memory-circuit elements with properties that depend on the history and state of the system. We examine basic issues related to such systems and critically report on both theoretical and experimental progress in understanding their functionalities. We also discuss possible applications of memory effects in various areas of science and technology ranging from digital to analog electronics, biologically inspired circuits and learning. We finally discuss future research opportunities in the field.     

Cross-correlation markers in stochastic dynamics of complex systems

The neuromagnetic activity (magnetoencephalogram, MEG) from healthy human brain and from an epileptic patient against chromatic flickering stimuli has been earlier analyzed on the basis of a memory functions formalism (MFF). Information measures of memory as well as relaxation parameters revealed high individuality and unique features in the neuromagnetic brain responses of each subject. The current paper demonstrates new capabilities of MFF by studying cross-correlations between MEG signals obtained from multiple and distant brain regions. It is shown that the MEG signals of healthy subjects are characterized by well-defined effects of frequency synchronization and at the same time by the domination of low-frequency processes. On the contrary, the MEG of a patient is characterized by a sharp abnormality of frequency synchronization, and also by prevalence of high-frequency quasi-periodic processes. Modification of synchronization effects and dynamics of cross-correlations offer a promising method of detecting pathological abnormalities in brain responses.