Catálogo de publicaciones - libros

Here we give examples of different physical phenomena observed in physical networks (networked aggregates and/or pore networks) realized in clays. We study the SAME material, from different points of view simultaneously, and in parallel. Knowledge gained from one type of study is utilized in another, for example: We demonstrate that studies of colloidal network structures of clay gels teaches us things about collapsed surface networks and surface roughness, and vice versa, we show that diffusion processes in clay samples teaches us things that are relevant for the polarizibility of clay particles exposed to external electric fields and vice versa, and we will show that water suspensions of nanolayered clay particles teaches us lessons to be used for explaining adaptive structures of clay particles suspended in oil. The phenomena under study are independent, in their own right, each with their own level of description, but still interconnected. We use examples from our activities on nano-layered silicates (i.e. clays), in order to illustrate complexity and universality in materials physics. This research may be said to link nano physics with macro physics, and the systems we study, namely clays, enable us to interact with ideas both towards nano-technological applications (smart materials, diffusion in membranes, nanocomposites etc), and towards geology and environmental soil science. This is the strength of physics, namely the universal approach to problems.

We state the usual postulatory approach used by economists and then contrast it with our empirically based discovery of the dynamics of financial markets, where all predictions are calculated from ‘the market Green function’. In particular, we predict option prices in agreement with traders’ valuations, but without using any nonempirically determined parameters. Both global and local volatility are defined via the noise traders’ diffusion coefficient, and a new dynamic definition of ‘value’ is given. Self-fulfilling prophecies are discussed in the context of complexity.

A brief review is given of the minority game, an idealized model stimulated by a market of speculative agents, with emphasis on its statistical physics.