Non-Euclidean geometry in nature

Abstract

I describe the manifestation of the non-Euclidean geometry in the behavior of collective observables of some complex physical systems. Specifically, I consider the formation of equilibrium shapes of plants and statistics of sparse random graphs. For these systems I discuss the following interlinked questions: (i) the optimal embedding of plants leaves in the three-dimensional space, (ii) the spectral statistics of sparse random matrix ensembles.Comment: 52 pages, 21 figures, last section is rewritten, a reference to chaotic Hamiltonian systems is adde