New Trends in Non-equilibrium Dynamics

Coordinators: Aparna Baskaran, Valentina Ros, Grégory Schehr, Julien Tailleur, and Francesco Zamponi

Scientific Advisors: John Barton, Anne-Florence Bitbol, Yariv Kafri, Daphne Klotsa, and Suri Vaikuntanathan

Recent years have witnessed significant advances in non-equilibrium statistical mechanics, which has led to rapid progress in a variety of fields ranging from soft and active matter to molecular biophysics, ecology, and genetics. Notably, developments in large deviation theory, stochastic processes, high-dimensional dynamics, and optimization promise to push these advancements even further when integrated with insights tailored to the specific questions within each field.

The objective of this program is to apply these powerful concepts to evolutionary dynamics, population dynamics, and active matter, and to explore the cross-fertilization between these areas. Some of the questions we aim to discuss during the program include: How can evolutionary dynamics benefit from paradigms developed within active matter to incorporate physical space and environmental heterogeneity? Conversely, how can active matter leverage the language of networks and high-dimensional dynamics, well-developed in evolutionary dynamics, to capture the hierarchical organization that leads to emergent phenomena of interest? Furthermore, how might recent advances in large deviation theory and optimization in high-dimensional spaces be integrated into this interdisciplinary study?

By addressing these questions, the program aims to foster a deeper understanding and uncover new insights into the complex behaviors and dynamics across these fields.