Editorial

More than 30 years of scientific endeavor have brought us from programming simple models to impressive simulations of dynamic systems. Lattice models like Potts, percolation, fuse, fiber bundle, and growth models, just to name a few, are the prototypes or godfathers of statistical mechanics. With the availability of more powerful tools it became possible to develop these models and apply them on complex topologies, finding important practical applications in socio-technological systems (e.g., opinion dynamics, traffic, communication networks) and to engineering problems (e.g., fracture phenomena, mass transport). In parallel, particle models evolved from a hand full of interacting discs to three dimensional multibillion particle simulations that successfully describe interesting fracture phenomena, granular flow, and even fluid flow for engineering applications. Prof. Dr. Hans Jürgen Herrmann has dedicated his professional life to this journey.