Collective behaviours: from biochemical kinetics to electronic circuits

In this work we aim to highlight a close analogy between cooperative behaviors in chemical kinetics and cybernetics; this is realized by using a common language for their description, that is mean-field statistical mechanics. First, we perform a one-to-one mapping between paradigmatic behaviors in chemical kinetics (i.e., non-cooperative, cooperative, ultra-sensitive, anti-cooperative) and in mean-field statistical mechanics (i.e., paramagnetic, high and low temperature ferromagnetic, anti-ferromagnetic). Interestingly, the statistical mechanics approach allows a unified, broad theory for all scenarios and, in particular, Michaelis-Menten, Hill and Adair equations are consistently recovered. This framework is then tested against experimental biological data with an overall excellent agreement. One step forward, we consistently read the whole mapping from a cybernetic perspective, highlighting deep structural analogies between the above-mentioned kinetics and fundamental bricks in electronics (i.e. operational amplifiers, flashes, flip-flops), so to build a clear bridge linking biochemical kinetics and cybernetics.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures; to appear on Scientific Reports: Nature Publishing Grou

Notes on the p-spin glass studied via Hamilton-Jacobi and Smooth-Cavity techniques

In these notes, we continue our investigation of classical toy models of disordered statistical mechanics through various techniques recently developed and tested mainly on the paradigmatic SK spin glass. Here we consider the p-spin-glass model with Ising spins and interactions drawn from a normal distribution N[0,1]. After a general presentation of its properties (e.g. self-averaging of the free energy, existence of a suitable thermodynamic limit), we study its equilibrium behavior within the Hamilton-Jacobi framework and the smooth cavity approach. Through the former we find both the RS and the 1RSB expressions for the free energy, coupled with their self-consistent relations for the overlaps. Through the latter, we recover these results as irreducible expression, and we study the generalization of the overlap polynomial identities suitable for this model; a discussion on their deep connection with the structure of the internal energy and the entropy closes the investigation.Comment: To appear on JM

Replica symmetry breaking in mean field spin glasses trough Hamilton-Jacobi technique

During the last years, through the combined effort of the insight, coming from physical intuition and computer simulation, and the exploitation of rigorous mathematical methods, the main features of the mean field Sherrington-Kirkpatrick spin glass model have been firmly established. In particular, it has been possible to prove the existence and uniqueness of the infinite volume limit for the free energy, and its Parisi expression, in terms of a variational principle, involving a functional order parameter. Even the expected property of ultrametricity, for the infinite volume states, seems to be near to a complete proof. The main structural feature of this model, and related models, is the deep phenomenon of spontaneous replica symmetry breaking (RSB), discovered by Parisi many years ago. By expanding on our previous work, the aim of this paper is to investigate a general frame, where replica symmetry breaking is embedded in a kind of mechanical scheme of the Hamilton-Jacobi type. Here, the analog of the "time" variable is a parameter characterizing the strength of the interaction, while the "space" variables rule out quantitatively the broken replica symmetry pattern. Starting from the simple cases, where annealing is assumed, or replica symmetry, we build up a progression of dynamical systems, with an increasing number of space variables, which allow to weaken the effect of the potential in the Hamilton-Jacobi equation, as the level of symmetry braking is increased. This new machinery allows to work out mechanically the general K-step RSB solutions, in a different interpretation with respect to the replica trick, and lightens easily their properties as existence or uniqueness.Comment: 24 pages, no figure

Mean-field cooperativity in chemical kinetics

We consider cooperative reactions and we study the effects of the interaction strength among the system components on the reaction rate, hence realizing a connection between microscopic and macroscopic observables. Our approach is based on statistical mechanics models and it is developed analytically via mean-field techniques. First of all, we show that, when the coupling strength is set positive, the model is able to consistently recover all the various cooperative measures previously introduced, hence obtaining a single unifying framework. Furthermore, we introduce a criterion to discriminate between weak and strong cooperativity, based on a measure of "susceptibility". We also properly extend the model in order to account for multiple attachments phenomena: this is realized by incorporating within the model $p$-body interactions, whose non-trivial cooperative capability is investigated too.Comment: 25 pages, 4 figure

TECNICA TECNOLOGIA E SCIENZA SULLE STRADE NAPOLETANE. LA LARGHEZZA DELLA BANDA DELLE RUOTE E GLI ASSI DELLE VETTURE

IL SAGGIO E' IL TESTO DELLA RELAZIONE AL CONVEGNO "SPAZI DELLA BORGHESIA E GOVERNO DEL TERRITORIO" ORGANIZZATO DAL CENTRO EUROPEO DI STUDI E RICERCHE SUL PERIODO NAPOLEOINICO A ALESSANDRIA NEL 2002. GLI ATTI SONO PUBBLICATI IN UN NUMERO MONOGRAFICO DI "RNR" A CURA DI DI ALDO DI BIASI