The Statistical thermodynamics is the usual theory for the description of systems with a huge number of degrees of freedom. In recent times, under the challenges posed by nanotechnologies and by the interest for biological processes at the cellular level, there have been remarkable developments devoted to the statistical treatment of small systems. In these systems the relevant variables are subjected to strong fluctuations and, moreover, the systems are usually far from equilibrium.
The extension of the methods of statistical thermodynamics to these systems is not straightforward. For example, at difference with huge systems in equilibrium, in small non equilibrium systems all variables fluctuates, therefore already the selection of the relevant variables can be problematic.
In a search for an unified theoretical framework for the description of non equilibrium features of stochastic dynamical systems different fluctuation theorems have been developed. These can be formulated in terms of entropy production or information flows. The concept of information is at the heart of modern integrative biophysics and non equilibrium thermodynamics.
The core of this project belongs to one of the hot-field in the current research in physics and biology. Here we address the general problem of modeling the non equilibrium behavior of complex systems in terms of information flows. We focus on a class of systems which are assumed to to maximize an objective function, or information. This assumption can be debated. Nevertheless it gives a strong , and general, first principle for the description of complex systems.
The present project represents a natural common overlap of research lines carried out by the project-members in collaborations with several groups in Italy and Europe. All project-members have actively worked, and are still working, in the field of non equilibrium statistical mechanics.
AC has a long experience on the study of disordered and non equilibrium systems, such as glasses, spin glasses and system with a small number of degrees of freedom. At the present the main topics of research in this field are the extension of Fluctuation Theorems to aging systems and an information theory approach to Gene Regulatory Networks.
AG is a biophysicist, versed in statistical mechanics and dynamical systems. At present he is actively interested in
computational biology, bioinformatics and stochastic thermodynamics.
AV has a long expertise in non-equilibrium statistical mechanics, dynamical systems, applications of stochastic processes,
transport problems and granular systems.
This is a project grounded in solid theoretical physics and open toward the peculiar complexity of nanoscale systems, biological and artificial. We intend to realize a concrete integration of different styles of research, affording problems that are in the focus of contemporary statistical physics.
Based on our experience and the long-standing and friendly intellectual connections we believe to have good chances to carry on this project.