Analysis and Stochastics of Growth Processes and Interface Models


Book Description

This book is a collection of topical survey articles by leading researchers in the fields of applied analysis and probability theory, working on the mathematical description of growth phenomena. Particular emphasis is on the interplay of the two fields, with articles by analysts being accessible for researchers in probability, and vice versa. Mathematical methods discussed in the book comprise large deviation theory, lace expansion, harmonic multi-scale techniques and homogenisation of partial differential equations. Models based on the physics of individual particles are discussed alongside models based on the continuum description of large collections of particles, and the mathematical theories are used to describe physical phenomena such as droplet formation, Bose-Einstein condensation, Anderson localization, Ostwald ripening, or the formation of the early universe. The combination of articles from the two fields of analysis and probability is highly unusual and makes this book an important resource for researchers working in all areas close to the interface of these fields.




Stochastic Processes, Multiscale Modeling, and Numerical Methods for Computational Cellular Biology


Book Description

This book focuses on the modeling and mathematical analysis of stochastic dynamical systems along with their simulations. The collected chapters will review fundamental and current topics and approaches to dynamical systems in cellular biology. This text aims to develop improved mathematical and computational methods with which to study biological processes. At the scale of a single cell, stochasticity becomes important due to low copy numbers of biological molecules, such as mRNA and proteins that take part in biochemical reactions driving cellular processes. When trying to describe such biological processes, the traditional deterministic models are often inadequate, precisely because of these low copy numbers. This book presents stochastic models, which are necessary to account for small particle numbers and extrinsic noise sources. The complexity of these models depend upon whether the biochemical reactions are diffusion-limited or reaction-limited. In the former case, one needs to adopt the framework of stochastic reaction-diffusion models, while in the latter, one can describe the processes by adopting the framework of Markov jump processes and stochastic differential equations. Stochastic Processes, Multiscale Modeling, and Numerical Methods for Computational Cellular Biology will appeal to graduate students and researchers in the fields of applied mathematics, biophysics, and cellular biology.




New Trends in Stochastic Analysis and Related Topics


Book Description

The volume is dedicated to Professor David Elworthy to celebrate his fundamental contribution and exceptional influence on stochastic analysis and related fields. Stochastic analysis has been profoundly developed as a vital fundamental research area in mathematics in recent decades. It has been discovered to have intrinsic connections with many other areas of mathematics such as partial differential equations, functional analysis, topology, differential geometry, dynamical systems, etc. Mathematicians developed many mathematical tools in stochastic analysis to understand and model random phenomena in physics, biology, finance, fluid, environment science, etc. This volume contains 12 comprehensive review/new articles written by world leading researchers (by invitation) and their collaborators. It covers stochastic analysis on manifolds, rough paths, Dirichlet forms, stochastic partial differential equations, stochastic dynamical systems, infinite dimensional analysis, stochastic flows, quantum stochastic analysis and stochastic Hamilton Jacobi theory. Articles contain cutting edge research methodology, results and ideas in relevant fields. They are of interest to research mathematicians and postgraduate students in stochastic analysis, probability, partial differential equations, dynamical systems, mathematical physics, as well as to physicists, financial mathematicians, engineers, etc.




Directed Polymers in Random Environments


Book Description

Analyzing the phase transition from diffusive to localized behavior in a model of directed polymers in a random environment, this volume places particular emphasis on the localization phenomenon. The main questionis: What does the path of a random walk look like if rewards and penalties are spatially randomly distributed?This model, which provides a simplified version of stretched elastic chains pinned by random impurities, has attracted much research activity, but it (and its relatives) still holds many secrets, especially in high dimensions. It has non-gaussian scaling limits and it belongs to the so-called KPZ universality class when the space is one-dimensional. Adopting a Gibbsian approach, using general and powerful tools from probability theory, the discrete model is studied in full generality. Presenting the state-of-the art from different perspectives, and written in the form of a first course on the subject, this monograph is aimed at researchers in probability or statistical physics, but is also accessible to masters and Ph.D. students.





Book Description




From Collective Beings to Quasi-Systems


Book Description

This book outlines a possible future theoretical perspective for systemics, its conceptual morphology and landscape while the Good-Old-Fashioned-Systemics (GOFS) era is still under way. The change from GOFS to future systemics can be represented, as shown in the book title, by the conceptual change from Collective Beings to Quasi-systems. With the current advancements, problems and approaches occurring in contemporary science, systemics are moving beyond the traditional frameworks used in the past. From Collective Beings to Coherent Quasi-Systems outlines a conceptual morphology and landscape for a new theoretical perspective for systemics introducing the concept of Quasi-systems. Advances in domains such as theoretical physics, philosophy of science, cell biology, neuroscience, experimental economics, network science and many others offer new concepts and technical tools to support the creation of a fully transdisciplinary General Theory of Change. This circumstance requires a deep reformulation of systemics, without forgetting the achievements of established conventions. The book is divided into two parts. Part I, examines classic systemic issues from new theoretical perspectives and approaches. A new general unified framework is introduced to help deal with topics such as dynamic structural coherence and Quasi-systems. This new theoretical framework is compared and contrasted with the traditional approaches. Part II focuses on the process of translation into social culture of the theoretical principles, models and approaches introduced in Part I. This translation is urgent in post-industrial societies where emergent processes and problems are still dealt with by using the classical or non-systemic knowledge of the industrial phase.




Erdös Centennial


Book Description

Paul Erdös was one of the most influential mathematicians of the twentieth century, whose work in number theory, combinatorics, set theory, analysis, and other branches of mathematics has determined the development of large areas of these fields. In 1999, a conference was organized to survey his work, his contributions to mathematics, and the far-reaching impact of his work on many branches of mathematics. On the 100th anniversary of his birth, this volume undertakes the almost impossible task to describe the ways in which problems raised by him and topics initiated by him (indeed, whole branches of mathematics) continue to flourish. Written by outstanding researchers in these areas, these papers include extensive surveys of classical results as well as of new developments.




Random Operators


Book Description

This book provides an introduction to the mathematical theory of disorder effects on quantum spectra and dynamics. Topics covered range from the basic theory of spectra and dynamics of self-adjoint operators through Anderson localization--presented here via the fractional moment method, up to recent results on resonant delocalization. The subject's multifaceted presentation is organized into seventeen chapters, each focused on either a specific mathematical topic or on a demonstration of the theory's relevance to physics, e.g., its implications for the quantum Hall effect. The mathematical chapters include general relations of quantum spectra and dynamics, ergodicity and its implications, methods for establishing spectral and dynamical localization regimes, applications and properties of the Green function, its relation to the eigenfunction correlator, fractional moments of Herglotz-Pick functions, the phase diagram for tree graph operators, resonant delocalization, the spectral statistics conjecture, and related results. The text incorporates notes from courses that were presented at the authors' respective institutions and attended by graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.




Spectral Approach to Transport Problems in Two-Dimensional Disordered Lattices


Book Description

This book introduces the spectral approach to transport problems in infinite disordered systems characterized by Anderson-type Hamiltonians. The spectral approach determines (with probability one) the existence of extended states for nonzero disorder in infinite lattices of any dimension and geometry. Here, the author focuses on the critical 2D case, where previous numerical and experimental results have shown disagreement with theory. Not being based on scaling theory, the proposed method avoids issues related to boundary conditions and provides an alternative approach to transport problems where interaction with various types of disorder is considered. Beginning with a general overview of Anderson-type transport problems and their relevance to physical systems, it goes on to discuss in more detail the most relevant theoretical, numerical, and experimental developments in this field of research. The mathematical formulation of the innovative spectral approach is introduced together with a physical interpretation and discussion of its applicability to physical systems, followed by a numerical study of delocalization in the 2D disordered honeycomb, triangular, and square lattices. Transport in the 2D honeycomb lattice with substitutional disorder is investigated employing a spectral analysis of the quantum percolation problem. Next, the applicability of the method is extended to the classical regime, with an examination of diffusion of lattice waves in 2D disordered complex plasma crystals, along with discussion of proposed future developments in the study of complex transport problems using spectral theory.




Random Polymers


Book Description

Polymer chains that interact with themselves and/or with their environment are fascinating objects, displaying a range of interesting physical and chemical phenomena. The focus in this monograph is on the mathematical description of some of these phenomena, with particular emphasis on phase transitions as a function of interaction parameters, associated critical behavior and space-time scaling. Topics include: self-repellent polymers, self-attracting polymers, polymers interacting with interfaces, charged polymers, copolymers near linear or random selective interfaces, polymers interacting with random substrate and directed polymers in random environment. Different techniques are exposed, including the method of local times, large deviations, the lace expansion, generating functions, the method of excursions, ergodic theory, partial annealing estimates, coarse-graining techniques and martingales. Thus, this monograph offers a mathematical panorama of polymer chains, which even today holds plenty of challenges.