Satellite session at the 2019 Conference on Complex Systems in Singapore.
James Clerk Maxwell famously proposed that an intelligent demon can harness knowledge about its environment to produce useful work over 150 years ago. While this picture has been refined considerably in modern nonequilibrium thermodynamics, the field maintains that information processing allows agents to harness complex structure in their environment. This understanding of the energetic benefits of autonomous intelligence reveals a physical basis for the emergence of complex computing. And yet, these results only scratch the surface of the apparent hierarchy of complexity in nature. Here lies an opportunity to extend the scope of the physics of complexity. Whether a computation happens in a nanomechanical implementation of Maxwell’s demon, an enzymatic manipulation of DNA, a bacterium as it navigates a nutrient landscape, an ant colony as individuals communicate through pheromones, or a trading algorithm that leverages fluctuating markets, energy and thermodynamic entropy are core concerns.
This workshop brings together experts in nonequilibrium information processing in its many forms and provides a platform for cross-disciplinary dialogue and collaboration. Together, we hope to synthesize our diverse expertise towards organizing principles of complex systems.
- Venue: The Arc - Learning Hub North (LHN) Nanyang Technological University, 63 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 636922
- Date: Wednesday, Oct 2, 2019, Full-Day
- Organizers: Alexander Boyd, Kelly Finn, Mile Gu
- Abstract Submission: closed
- Accommodation information: http://event.ntu.edu.sg/ccs2019/More/Pages/Hotel-Location.aspx
