Graduate programs in Complex Systems?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around graduate programs related to Chaos, Complex Systems, Nonlinear Dynamics, and Statistical Physics. Participants seek recommendations for institutions and literature in these fields, as well as insights into job prospects in these areas.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest graduate programs at Stony Brook, University of Maryland, and University of New Mexico, noting their strengths in these areas.
  • There are mentions of specific faculty members and their research interests, such as Guckenheimer at Cornell and Kevrekidis at Princeton, indicating the diversity of research within the field.
  • Concerns are raised about the availability of jobs in these specialized fields, with some participants suggesting that few institutions have a strong focus on dynamics research.
  • One participant questions the assertion that there are not many schools with strong dynamics departments, suggesting that the situation may not be as dire as presented.
  • Another participant highlights the importance of pursuing one's interests despite potential job market challenges.
  • There is a request for information about institutions outside the USA, specifically mentioning the Complex Systems Department at UNAM in Mexico.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of agreement and disagreement regarding the availability of jobs in the field and the strength of various graduate programs. While some institutions are repeatedly recommended, there is no consensus on the job market situation or the adequacy of faculty numbers in dynamics departments.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that the number of faculty specializing in dynamics may vary significantly between institutions, and that this specialization could influence the strength of a department. There are also references to specific conferences and resources that may provide further information.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for prospective graduate students interested in Chaos, Complex Systems, Nonlinear Dynamics, and Statistical Physics, as well as those considering job prospects in these fields.

rdgarza
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Hi, I am interested in Chaos, Complex Systems and Nonlinear dynamics systems and Statistical physics, can anyone please suggest me some graduate programs in this topics and maybe some literature too?
 
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Some obvious possibilities include Stony Brook, University of Maryland (College Park), University of New Mexico (with an eye to Sante Fe Insitute). If you haven't read the two volume book by E. Atlee Jackson, Perspectives on Nonlinear Dynamics, you should run right out and buy this book.
 
You might want to look at groups doing research on granular materials - people are also doing some cool stat mech on glassy systems.

What geographic area are you looking in?
 
Right now I am in Mexico, I was looking in Mexico and USA, but I am not closed only to this 2 options.

I have one more question, is hard to find a job in this topics?
 
rdgarza said:
Hi, I am interested in Chaos, Complex Systems and Nonlinear dynamics systems and Statistical physics, can anyone please suggest me some graduate programs in this topics and maybe some literature too?

Cornell has a really good Applied Mathematics department, alongwith University of Maryland. Stony Brook has a much more pure dynamical systems department; not really focusing on the applications and really more on just the pure theory.
 
rdgarza said:
Right now I am in Mexico, I was looking in Mexico and USA, but I am not closed only to this 2 options.

I have one more question, is hard to find a job in this topics?

Not many schools have a strong dynamics department or have a desire to hire such a researcher to be honest. You can count on your hand the number of schools that have more than 7 faculty members who specifically study dynamics. It might be tough, but do what you love.
 
I'd rate Guckenheimer's Cornell group right up there.

Check out Kevrekidis in Princeton for some interesting Chem. Eng. stuff.

Koppell in Boston (BU) for bio stuff.

Ermentrout in Pittsburgh for neuro things.
 
InbredDummy said:
Not many schools have a strong dynamics department or have a desire to hire such a researcher to be honest. You can count on your hand the number of schools that have more than 7 faculty members who specifically study dynamics. It might be tough, but do what you love.
Is this just from your personal experience?

Check out a conference site like: http://siam.org/meetings/ds07/ to see that's not true.
 
Steven Strogatz (my nonlinear dynamics and chaos text author) is on the dyn systems advisory board. why not look into cornell?
 
  • #11
InbredDummy said:
Cornell has a really good Applied Mathematics department, alongwith University of Maryland. Stony Brook has a much more pure dynamical systems department; not really focusing on the applications and really more on just the pure theory.

Maryland is strong in both pure and applied dynamical systems. So, two votes for UM and Stony Brook, actually for Cornell too (I am a Cornell alum :wink: but did my undergrad degree in pure math).
 
  • #12
InbredDummy said:
Not many schools have a strong dynamics department or have a desire to hire such a researcher to be honest. You can count on your hand the number of schools that have more than 7 faculty members who specifically study dynamics. It might be tough, but do what you love.

rdgarza, I'd disregard this particular comment by InbredDummy, since few math departments have seven faculty members which work on any one topic (in fact, I'd be a bit worried about any department which was that specialized). In a large department with 50 full-time faculty, you might have three to five who work in the same area and in that case this would be a significant strength of that department. But it seems ID and I agree that University of Maryland at College Park (that's a Metro ride from Washington, DC and the Smithsonian complex if you're interested), State University of New York at Stony Brook, and Cornell would all be good choices.
 
Last edited:
  • #13
Hi people!

Thanks all of you for your posts.

I know these topics have a lot of applications, so maybe is not a big problem to get a job related to Chaos, Complex Systems and Nonlinear dynamics systems and Statistical physics.

Definitively Maryland is a strong option in all this topics, but, can you tell me something about institution outside USA?, I know the UNAM in Mexico have a Complex Systems Department (http://scifunam.fisica.unam.mx/), do anyone know something about it?
 

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