Book Description

This volume focuses on the area of the physics of complex systems and provides both an overview of the field and more detailed examination of those topics within the field that are currently of greatest interest to researchers. The properties of complex systems play an important role in a variety of different and overlapping areas in physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and technology. The research field of complex systems is very broad, but this volume attempts to be comprehensive. This book is a useful reference work for researchers in this area, whether graduate students or advanced academics. Up-to-date reviews of cutting-edge topics are provided, compiled by leading authorities and designed to both broaden the reader's insight and encourage the exploration of new problems in related fields. An overview of the present status of the physics of complex systems is provided on the following general topics: (1) scaling behaviours; (2) supramolecular systems; (3) aggregation, aggregation kinetics and disorderly growth mechanisms; (4) granularly matter; (5) polymers, associating polymers, polyelectrolytes and gels; (6) amphiphiles, emulsions, colloids, membranes and interface phenomena; (7) molecular motors; (8) phase separation and out of equilibrium dynamics; (9) turbulence, chaos and chaotic dynamics; (10) glass transition, supercooled fluids and (11) geometrically constrained dynamics.