21,819 research outputs found
Computational Complexity for Physicists
These lecture notes are an informal introduction to the theory of
computational complexity and its links to quantum computing and statistical
mechanics.Comment: references updated, reprint available from
http://itp.nat.uni-magdeburg.de/~mertens/papers/complexity.shtm
The computational complexity of Kauffman nets and the P versus NP problem
Complexity theory as practiced by physicists and computational complexity
theory as practiced by computer scientists both characterize how difficult it
is to solve complex problems. Here it is shown that the parameters of a
specific model can be adjusted so that the problem of finding its global energy
minimum is extremely sensitive to small changes in the problem statement. This
result has implications not only for studies of the physics of random systems
but may also lead to new strategies for resolving the well-known P versus NP
question in computational complexity theory.Comment: 4 pages, no figure
The Hopfield model and its role in the development of synthetic biology
Neural network models make extensive use of
concepts coming from physics and engineering. How do scientists
justify the use of these concepts in the representation of
biological systems? How is evidence for or against the use of
these concepts produced in the application and manipulation
of the models? It will be shown in this article that neural
network models are evaluated differently depending on the
scientific context and its modeling practice. In the case of
the Hopfield model, the different modeling practices related to
theoretical physics and neurobiology played a central role for
how the model was received and used in the different scientific
communities. In theoretical physics, where the Hopfield model
has its roots, mathematical modeling is much more common and
established than in neurobiology which is strongly experiment
driven. These differences in modeling practice contributed to
the development of the new field of synthetic biology which
introduced a third type of model which combines mathematical
modeling and experimenting on biological systems and by doing
so mediates between the different modeling practices
Nonintegrability, Chaos, and Complexity
Two-dimensional driven dissipative flows are generally integrable via a
conservation law that is singular at equilibria. Nonintegrable dynamical
systems are confined to n*3 dimensions. Even driven-dissipative deterministic
dynamical systems that are critical, chaotic or complex have n-1 local
time-independent conservation laws that can be used to simplify the geometric
picture of the flow over as many consecutive time intervals as one likes. Those
conserevation laws generally have either branch cuts, phase singularities, or
both. The consequence of the existence of singular conservation laws for
experimental data analysis, and also for the search for scale-invariant
critical states via uncontrolled approximations in deterministic dynamical
systems, is discussed. Finally, the expectation of ubiquity of scaling laws and
universality classes in dynamics is contrasted with the possibility that the
most interesting dynamics in nature may be nonscaling, nonuniversal, and to
some degree computationally complex
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Collaborative yet independent: Information practices in the physical sciences
In many ways, the physical sciences are at the forefront of using digital tools and methods to work with information and data. However, the fields and disciplines that make up the physical sciences are by no means uniform, and physical scientists find, use, and disseminate information in a variety of ways. This report examines information practices in the physical sciences across seven cases, and demonstrates the richly varied ways in which physical scientists work, collaborate, and share information and data.
This report details seven case studies in the physical sciences. For each case, qualitative interviews and focus groups were used to understand the domain. Quantitative data gathered from a survey of participants highlights different information strategies employed across the cases, and identifies important software used for research.
Finally, conclusions from across the cases are drawn, and recommendations are made. This report is the third in a series commissioned by the Research Information Network (RIN), each looking at information practices in a specific domain (life sciences, humanities, and physical sciences). The aim is to understand how researchers within a range of disciplines find and use information, and in particular how that has changed with the introduction of new technologies
Complex Systems: A Survey
A complex system is a system composed of many interacting parts, often called
agents, which displays collective behavior that does not follow trivially from
the behaviors of the individual parts. Examples include condensed matter
systems, ecosystems, stock markets and economies, biological evolution, and
indeed the whole of human society. Substantial progress has been made in the
quantitative understanding of complex systems, particularly since the 1980s,
using a combination of basic theory, much of it derived from physics, and
computer simulation. The subject is a broad one, drawing on techniques and
ideas from a wide range of areas. Here I give a survey of the main themes and
methods of complex systems science and an annotated bibliography of resources,
ranging from classic papers to recent books and reviews.Comment: 10 page
Off-line computing for experimental high-energy physics
The needs of experimental high-energy physics for large-scale computing and data handling are explained in terms of the complexity of individual collisions and the need for high statistics to study quantum mechanical processes. The prevalence of university-dominated collaborations adds a requirement for high-performance wide-area networks. The data handling and computational needs of the different types of large experiment, now running or under construction, are evaluated. Software for experimental high-energy physics is reviewed briefly with particular attention to the success of packages written within the discipline. It is argued that workstations and graphics are important in ensuring that analysis codes are correct, and the worldwide networks which support the involvement of remote physicists are described. Computing and data handling are reviewed showing how workstations and RISC processors are rising in importance but have not supplanted traditional mainframe processing. Examples of computing systems constructed within high-energy physics are examined and evaluated
Quantum Computing in the NISQ era and beyond
Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) technology will be available in the
near future. Quantum computers with 50-100 qubits may be able to perform tasks
which surpass the capabilities of today's classical digital computers, but
noise in quantum gates will limit the size of quantum circuits that can be
executed reliably. NISQ devices will be useful tools for exploring many-body
quantum physics, and may have other useful applications, but the 100-qubit
quantum computer will not change the world right away --- we should regard it
as a significant step toward the more powerful quantum technologies of the
future. Quantum technologists should continue to strive for more accurate
quantum gates and, eventually, fully fault-tolerant quantum computing.Comment: 20 pages. Based on a Keynote Address at Quantum Computing for
Business, 5 December 2017. (v3) Formatted for publication in Quantum, minor
revision
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