The mathematics of information in complex systems

Karoline Wiesner
School of Mathematics
University of Bristol

A hallmark of complex systems are the presence of order and randomness. The interplay between them allows for robust function. A mathematical framework for uncovering structure and randomness is found in information theory. As one example I will illustrate how information measures help uncover the mechanism of glass formation. I will also discuss protein dynamics and other examples from biochemistry. No background in information theory required to attend.

References

Dunleavy, Andrew J., Karoline Wiesner, Ryoichi Yamamoto, and C. Patrick Royall.
Mutual Information Reveals Multiple Structural Relaxation Mechanisms in a Model Glass Former. Nature Communications 6 (2015). 

Ladyman, James, James Lambert, and Karoline Wiesner.
What Is a Complex System? European Journal for Philosophy of Science 3, no. 1 (2013): 33–67. 

Kelly, David, Mark Dillingham, Andrew Hudson, and Karoline Wiesner.
A New Method for Inferring Hidden Markov Models from Noisy Time Sequences. PLoS ONE 7, no. 1 (2012): e29703.