Angelo Vulpiani

Massimo Cencini

Andrea Puglisi

Davide Vergni

This book offers an informal, easy-to-understand account of topics in modern physics and mathematics. The focus is, in particular, on statistical mechanics, soft matter, probability, chaos, complexity, and models, as well as their interplay. The book features 28 key entries and it is carefully structured so as to allow readers to pursue different paths that reflect their interests and priorities, thereby avoiding an excessively systematic presentation that might stifle interest. While the majority of the entries concern specific topics and arguments, some relate to important protagonists of science, highlighting and explaining their contributions. Advanced mathematics is avoided, and formulas are introduced in only a few cases. The book is a user-friendly tool that nevertheless avoids scientific compromise. It is of interest to all who seek a better grasp of the world that surrounds us and of the ideas that have changed our perceptions.

Beyond Black Holes and Time-Travels

A Random Walk in Physics

Andrea Crisanti

Giovanni Paladin

At the present moment, after the success of the renormalization group in providing a conceptual framework for studying second-order phase tran sitions, we have a nearly satisfactory understanding of the statistical me chanics of classical systems with a non-random Hamiltonian. The situation is completely different if we consider the theory of systems with a random Hamiltonian or of chaotic dynamical systems. The two fields are connected; in fact, in the latter the effects of deterministic chaos can be modelled by an appropriate stochastic process. Although many interesting results have been obtained in recent years and much progress has been made, we still lack a satisfactory understanding of the extremely wide variety of phenomena which are present in these fields. The study of disordered or chaotic systems is the new frontier where new ideas and techniques are being developed. More interesting and deep results are expected to come in future years. The properties of random matrices and their products form a basic tool, whose importance cannot be underestimated. They playa role as important as Fourier transforms for differential equations. This book is extremely interesting as far as it presents a unified approach for the main results which have been obtained in the study of random ma trices. It will become a reference book for people working in the subject. The book is written by physicists, uses the language of physics and I am sure that many physicists will read it with great pleasure.

in Statistical Physics

Products of Random Matrices

Guido Boffetta

Questo testo, che nasce dall'esperienza didattica degli autori, si propone di introdurre gli aspetti fondamentali della teoria della probabilità e dei processi stocastici, guardando con particolare attenzione alle connessioni con la meccanica statistica, il caos, le applicazioni modellistiche ed i metodi numerici. La prima parte è costituita da un'introduzione generale alla probabilità con particolare enfasi sulla probabilità condizionata, le densità marginali e i teoremi limite. Nella seconda parte, prendendo spunto dal moto Browniano, sono presentati i concetti fondamentali dei processi stocastici (catene di Markov, equazione di Fokker- Planck). La terza parte è una selezione di argomenti avanzati che possono essere trattati in corsi della laurea specialistica.

Un'introduzione

Probabilità in Fisica

Lamberto Rondoni

Sergio Chibbaro

Scientists have always attempted to explain the world in terms of a few unifying principles. In the fifth century B.C. Democritus boldly claimed that reality is simply a collection of indivisible and eternal parts or atoms. Over the centuries his doctrine has remained a landmark, and much progress in physics is due to its distinction between subjective perception and objective reality. This book discusses theory reduction in physics, which states that the whole is nothing more than the sum of its parts: the properties of things are directly determined by their constituent parts. Reductionism deals with the relation between different theories that address different levels of reality, and uses extrapolations to apply that relation in different sciences. Reality shows a complex structure of connections, and the dream of a unified interpretation of all phenomena in several simple laws continues to attract anyone with genuine philosophical and scientific interests. If the most radical reductionist point of view is correct, the relationship between disciplines is strictly inclusive: chemistry becomes physics, biology becomes chemistry, and so on. Eventually, only one science, indeed just a single theory, would survive, with all others merging in the Theory of Everything. Is the current coexistence of different sciences a mere historical venture which will end when the Theory of Everything has been established? Can there be a unified description of nature? Rather than an analysis of full reductionism, this book focuses on aspects of theory reduction in physics and stimulates reflection on related questions: is there any evidence of actual reduction? Are the examples used in the philosophy of science too simplistic? What has been endangered by the search for (the) ultimate truth? Has the dream of reductionist reason created any monsters? Is big science one such monster? What is the point of embedding science Y within science X, if predictions cannot be made on that basis?

The Importance of Being Borderline

Reductionism, Emergence and Levels of Reality

Luca Gammaitoni

Maghi, indovini, ciarlatani di ogni sorta si affannano da sempre nel tentativo di predire quello che accadrà. I risultati di questo sforzo secolare sono assai deludenti. Ma è davvero impossibile prevedere il futuro? Si può affrontare in modo scientifico il tema delle predizioni?

Il sogno più sfuggente dell'uomo sotto la lente della fisica

Perché è difficile prevedere il futuro

Angelo Vulpiani

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