Welcome to the page of the ComplexSimplex group !
Connecting Sciences - We are a Complex Systems group of researchers with heterogeneous backgrounds based at the Chemical Biology Laboratory of NICPB, the National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics , Tallinn, where we work on various problems of complex systems.
Language Dynamics - Our current research is focused on Language Dynamics, within the project "Learning Processes in Language Dynamics", supported by the Estonian Research Council through the grant PRG 1059.
Explore this site for information about our activities and contact us if you have any questions!
You can also follow us on facebook.
LAST NEWS
COMPILA 2023
Together with Yoshifumi Kawasaki (University of Tokyo, Japan) and David Sanchez (Institute for Cross-Disciplinary Physics and Complex Systems IFISC, Mallorca, Spain), we have co-organized COMPILA 2023 - Complexity in Language Variation and Change, on Friday, August 4 2023, a satellite meeting of StatPhy28 - the 28th edition of the international conference of statistical physics.
https://sites.google.com/g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/compila2023/home
In the News / Outreach
The new video by Physics World about our article "Physics of Language", by Marco Patriarca, Els Heinsalu, and David Sánchez, Physics World, 13 June 2023, is online with mentions to our works and an interview to our colleague Dr. Els Heinsalu !
The corresponding printed article made it on the August 2023 cover page!
Recent & Forthcoming Presentations
Talk: Vivian Dornelas, Els Heinsalu, Marco Patriarca, Spreading of cultural traits in spatially embedded networks, CUDAN 2023 - Cultural Data Analytics Conference 2023, December 13-16, 2023, Tallinn, Estonia
Talk: Stefano Scialla, Jens-Kristjan Liivand, Marco Patriarca, and Els Heinsalu, A three-state language competition model including language learning and attrition, CUDAN 2023 - Cultural Data Analytics Conference 2023, December 13-16, 2023, Tallinn, Estonia
Lightning talk&poster: Clément Zankoc, Marco Patriarca, and Els Heinsalu, Language dynamics model with finite-range interactions influencing the diffusion of linguistic traits and human dispersal, CUDAN 2023 - Cultural Data Analytics Conference 2023, December 13-16, 2023, Tallinn, Estonia
Lightning talk&poster: Els Heinsalu, Marco Patriarca, Andrzej Pȩkalski, and Janusz Szwabiński, Networks of traditional cuisines as cultural benchmarks. CUDAN 2023 - Cultural Data Analytics Conference 2023, December 13-16, 2023, Tallinn, Estonia
Talk: Vivian Dornelas, Els Heinsalu, Marco Patriarca, Spreading of cultural traits in spatially embedded networks, CCS2023, Conference on Complex Systems, October 16-20, 2023, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
Talk: Clément Zankoc, Els Heinsalu, and Marco Patriarca, Cultural dynamics model with finite-range interactions influencing the diffusion of culture and people, CCS2023, Conference on Complex Systems, October 16-20, 2023, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
Poster: Stefano Scialla, Marco Patriarca, Marius Yamakou, Els Heinsalu, Julyan H.E. Cartwright, Are “hubs” in beta-cell clusters an emergent network property or do they exist independently? Physiology in Focus 2023, September 14-16, 2023, Tallinn, Estonia.
Talk: Stefano Scialla, Jens-Kristjan Liivand, Marco Patriarca, and Els Heinsalu, The impact of memory and heterogeneity on language competition dynamics, Dynamics Days Europe 2023, Naples, September 3-8, 2023.
Poster: Clément Zankoc, Els Heinsalu, and Marco Patriarca, Cultural dynamics model with finite-range interactions influencing the diffusion of culture and people, Dynamics Days Europe 2023, Naples, September 3-8, 2023.
Talk: Els Heinsalu, Clément Zankoc, Marco Patriarca, Spatially extended Abrams-Strogatz model of language competition, Dynamics Days Europe 2023, Naples, September 3-8, 2023.
Talk: Stefano Scialla, Marco Patriarca, Marius Yamakou, Els Heinsalu, Julyan H.E. Cartwright, Are “hubs” in beta-cell clusters an emergent network property or do they exist independently? Dynamics Days Europe 2023, Naples, September 3-8, 2023.
Talk: Marius E. Yamakou, Marco Patriarca, Stefano Scialla, and Jinjie Zhu, Heterogeneity, Chimera, and Self-Induced Stochastic Resonance in Coupled Oscillators, International Workshop Dynamics in Coupled Network Systems, Berlin, November 20 - 22, 2023.
Talk: Marius E. Yamakou, Els Heinsalu, Marco Patriarca, and Stefano Scialla, Diversity-induced decoherence in a globally coupled neural network, CNS*2023 - 32nd Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting, Leipzig, Germany, July 15-19, 2023.
Talk: S. Scialla, M. Patriarca, M. Yamakou, E. Heinsalu, J.H.E. Cartwright, Are “hubs” in beta-cell clusters an emergent network property or do they exist independently? NetSci2023, Vienna University, July 10-14.
Poster: Mikhail Tamm, Els Heinsalu, Marco Patriarca, Stefano Scialla, Model of Linguistic Competition with Thresholds for Learning Language, XXVII Sitges Conference on Statistical Mechanics: Nonequilibrium Phenomena: from Quantum to Macroscopic Scales, Sitges, Spain, 29 May - 2 June, 2023.
Talk: Marius E. Yamakou, Els Heinsalu, Marco Patriarca, and Stefano Scialla, Diversity-Induced Decoherence in a Slow-Fast Dynamical System, DS23 - SIAM Conference on Applications of Dynamical Systems, Portland, Oregon, May 14 - 18, 2023.
Talk: Vivian Dornelas, Spatial Organization of single-species population, Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, May 8th, 2023.
Talk: Jens-Kristjan Liivand, Stefano Scialla, Marco Patriarca, Els Heinsalu. The effect of memory and heterogeneity in an agent-based language competition model. March 23, 2023, TalTech Seminars.
Talk: Marius E. Yamakou, Els Heinsalu, Marco Patriarca, and Stefano Scialla, Diversity-induced decoherence in globally coupled neural networks, DSABNS - 14th Conference on Dynamical Systems Applied to Biology and Natural Sciences, 2023, Bilbao, Spain, February 5-8, 2023.
Recent publications
Stefano Scialla, Jens-Kristjan Liivand, Marco Patriarca, Els Heinsalu, A three-state language competition model including language learning and attrition, Front. Complex Syst. 1-1266733 (2023), https://doi.org/10.3389/fcpxs.2023.1266733
The Physics of Languages
Marco Patriarca, Els Heinsalu, and David Sánchez
Physics World, 13 June 2023
https://physicsworld.com/a/the-physics-of-languages/
News Archive
2023
[CLOSED] Post-doc position opening in the study of Language Dynamics in Tallinn, Estonia.
Interdisciplinary physics post-doc position within the project "Learning Processes in Language Dynamics" funded by the Estonian Research Council.
The position is at The National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Tallinn, Estonia,
Keywords: language dynamics, cultural spreading, stochastic processes, complex networks, learning models, complex systems.
The starting date is negotiable but is expected to be at the beginning of 2024. The position can last 2 years until the end of 2025.
The project studies the social and cognitive dimensions of language directly connected to learning. The aim of the project is to develop new language dynamics models that explore the social and the cognitive dimensions of language directly connected to learning processes.
The candidate will work with the PI of the project, Dr Marco Patriarca, Dr. Els Heinsalu, and the other collaborators of the group, who have been actively working on various problems of language dynamics in the last years. The applicant should hold a PhD in physics or mathematics and have a strong interest in complex systems, in particular in language and cultural dynamics. Knowledge of / experience in mathematical modelling and numerical simulations of complex systems, complex networks, and stochastic processes is useful.
To apply, send a CV with publication list and a recommendation letter (or have the letter directly sent) toEls Heinsalu (els.heinsalu@kbfi.ee)
Marco Patriarca (marco.patriarca@kbfi.ee)
In case of any questions feel free to write to the contacts above.
2022
Co-organization of COMPILA2022 at CCS2022, the Conference of Complex Systems in Palma de Mallorca, together with David Sanchez (Institute for Cross-Disciplinary Physics and Complex Systems IFISC, Mallorca, Spain).
Dr. Marco Patriarca was interviewed by the Sicomoro Association at the yearly official conference of the Complex Systems Society CCS2022.
Dr. Els Heinsalu has spoken on the Estonian national TV channel about Complex Systems and our research on econophysics and languages! The interview was hosted by the scientific program "Curiosity Excellence Center" ("Uudishimu tippkeskus") and is available online!
June 5th, 2022. Dr. Els Heinsalu's interview at the Estonian national radio (vikerradio.err.ee) on movement ecology, plant and animal dispersal, and complex systems! The interview is online!
Estonian Physics Days (Füüsikapäevad) 2022: Dr. Els Heinsalu has spoken about our research work in language dynamics in the talk "Languages through the Lens of Complex Systems Theory", October 28-29, 2022, LI Füüsikapäevad,Nelijärve Puhkekeskus.