Course: CPLX 702. Physics Foundations for Complex Systems (2)
Prerequisite: Consent of the graduate advisor. This course introduces physical approaches to dealing with complex, many-body systems. Two distinct and complementary frameworks are presented: analytical mechanics and statistical physics. Core concepts include Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations of mechanics, phase space, nonlinear dynamics, chaos, fractals, free energy, entropy, partition functions and statistical ensembles.