EPJ ST Special Issue: Unraveling Spatio-Temporal Dynamics in Stochastic and Complex Systems

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Published on 16 May 2025

Guest Editors: Fernanda S. Matias, Edson D. Leonel, Marcos G.E. da Luz and Marcus W. Beims

Spatial patterns are ubiquitous in nature, emerging in rather diverse phenomena,like biological motifs (as those described by the Turing model), social organization in communities, sedimentary layers in geology, and Bérnard cells in fluid convection, to cite just a few. However, depending on the drives and interactions leading to these formations, the spatial structures themselves can evolve with time, characterizing thus a spatio-temporal dynamics. This is typical of systems displaying stochasticity and complexity, consequently taking place in critical phenomena, complex networks, turbulence, chaotic systems, sociophysics, econophyiscs, non-equilibrium thermodynamics, open quantum systems, nonlinear optics, ecology, climate problems, etc.

Given the importance and diversity of such huge class of processes, we invite contributions for a special issue addressing spatio-temporal dynamics in stochastic and complex systems. We invite contributions discussing different theoretical and/or experimental aspects of systems which evolve over space and time in a non-trivial manner due to their random, nonlinear and complex character. In particular, innovative research that leverages novel insights from statistical physics, dynamical systems and complexity theory are specially welcome

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• Stochastic Processes in Space and Time. Random dynamics extended over space; Stochastic partial differential equations (e.g. noisy reaction-diffusion, stochastic Ginzburg–Landau); Noise-induced patterns or transitions.
• Pattern Formation with Noise. How random fluctuations affect the emergence, stability, or destruction of spatial or temporal patterns. Examples: chemical reactions, ecological systems, brain activity.
• Spatio-Temporal Chaos in Complex Systems. Systems with high-dimensional, irregular behavior across space and time; E.g. turbulence, coupled chaotic oscillators.
• Collective Behavior in Stochastic Networks. How noise influences synchronization, cooperation, or spreading in complex networked systems (e.g. neurons, power grids, social systems).
• Phase Transitions and Critical Phenomena. Noise and spatial interactions driving transitions between different dynamic regimes. Examples: absorbing state transitions, percolation in disordered systems.
• Active and Living Systems. Self-driven particles or agents interacting with randomness in space and time. E.g. bacteria, animal groups, synthetic micro swimmers.
• Non-equilibrium Thermodynamics. Out-of-equilibrium processes which can be described in terms of microscopic states and their associated emergent behavior.
• Open Quantum Systems. Quantum systems interacting with distinct types of baths and decoherent-related processes.
• Hierarchical phenomena. Systems whose comportament emerges from different scales of interactions, each scale displaying a proper degree of organization. Examples are ecological systems, weather behavior, network training methods, etc.

Articles should be submitted to the Editorial Office of EPJ ST via the submission system, and should be clearly identified as intended for the topical issue “Unraveling Spatio-Temporal Dynamics in Stochastic and Complex Systems”.

More detailed author information including paper types can be found in the Submission Guidelines. For the preparation of the manuscripts a special latex template (preferably single-column layout) is available here.

Guest Editors:

Prof. Fernanda S. Matias, Department of Physics, Federal University of Alagoas,Maceió, Brazil.
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Prof. Edson D. Leonel, Department of Physics, State University of São Paulo, Rio Claro, Brazil.
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Prof. Marcos G.E. da Luz, Department of Physics, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil.
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Prof. Marcus W. Beims, Department of Physics, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil.
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