Seventh International Conference on Complex Systems

Past conference programs:
ICCS 2006 | ICCS 2004 | ICCS 2002 | ICCS 2000 | ICCS 1998 | ICCS 1997

Host: New England Complex Systems Institute

Conference Chairman: Yaneer Bar-Yam

Executive Committee:

• Yaneer Bar-Yam

• Dan Braha

• Joel MacAuslan

• Ali Minai

• Hiroki Sayama

Conference Aims:

1. To investigate those properties or characteristics common to complex systems, and

2. To encourage cross fertilization among the many disciplines involved

Conference Themes:

Complex systems research in all areas 

• Networks & Structural Themes: In recent years, understanding the structure and function of complex networks has become the foundation for explaining many different real-world complex biological, technological and informal social phenomena. Techniques from statistical physics have been successfully applied to the analysis of these networks, and have uncovered surprising topological properties that have also been shown to have a major effect on their functionality, dynamics, robustness, and fragility. This conference will bring together the latest research and practice on the emerging science of complex networks. Topics include but are not limited to studies on:

  • Topological properties of networks

  • Growth of networks

  • Community structure

  • Dynamical processes on networks

  • Search and distributed computation on networks

  • Competition of evolving networks

  • Stability of networks

  • Optimization approaches on networks

  • Networks in biology - gene regulation, metabolic, ..., ecology and evolution

  • Networks in society - formal and informal social networks, technological networks

  • Networks in engineering

  • Spatial networks

  • Games on networks

  • Visualization of networks

• Systems biology: High throughput data and theoretical modeling are combining to create new opportunities for systems understanding in biology. In addition to the comprehensiveness of genome-scale analysis of molecular pathways and networks, we are particularly interested in building toward an understanding of living systems at all scales and levels of organization. This will include aspects such as: emergence of higher-order (system-level) features, pattern formation, multiscale representation, etc. You are invited to submit abstracts/papers in experimental and theoretical areas of systems biology. Topics include but are not limited to studies on:

  • System levels

    • DNA/Protein sequence analysis: genome-scale comparative analysis, motifs, evolution

    • Regulatory pathways/circuits: stochastic simulation; deterministic, non-linear dynamics, in situ pathway visualization

    • Molecular networks: topology (global structure, local motifs) and dynamics

    • Cell and organismal physiology: Cell migration, Multi-cell behavior, Systems control, Homeostasis and disease, Scaling laws

    • Development: Spatiotemporal patterns, developmental constraints, robustness

    • Behavior: brain and behavior, group dynamics

    • Population and evolutionary dynamics

  • Concepts

    • Robustness and Control

    • Noise, Oscillations, Chaos

    • Fractals, power laws, Time series

    • Multiscale modeling

  • Tools

    • Genomics and Proteomics techniques

    • Databases, data mining, analysis and visualization tools

    • In situ imaging techniques (microscopic and macroscopic)

  • Socio-economic systems: There have been increasing interdisciplinary efforts to model and understand fundamental aspects of complex social and economic systems using tools from a variety of disciplines, including physics, computer science and network theory. Examples of topics pertinent to this section are

    • Traffic (automotive, pedestrian, information)

    • Stock and commodity markets

    • Economic development and macroeconomics

    • Urban planning

    • Models of epidemics

    • Counter-terrorism and security

    • Voting and opinion dynamics

    • Memetics

    • Negotiation and coordination

    We also welcome the presentation of new methods and tools applicable to these problems, including

    • Agent-based models

    • Cellular automata

    • AI approaches

    • Game theory

    • Network analysis

    • Time-series analysis and prediction

    • Analytic methods

• Engineering systems

  • Characteristics of Complex Engineered Systems
    Modularity and industrial evolution; Non-linear and chaotic dynamics of engineered systems; Robustness, vulnerability and failure in CES; Self-similarity, critical phenomena, and power laws in CES

  • Networks in Complex Engineered Systems
    Network dynamics in CES; Scale-free and small-world networks; Effect of connectivity on CES performance; Robustness and vulnerability in networked complex systems

  • CES Paradigms Based on Natural Systems
    Biomorphic networks (Neural nets, artificial immune systems, etc.); Evolutionary approaches; Collective intelligence; Amorphous computing; Swarm robotics; Self-configuring robots, Animats/biomorphic robots; Self-organized sensor networks

  • CES Paradigms Based on Human Systems
    Game-theoretic paradigms; Economic paradigms; Social paradigms.

  • Product Design and Development
    Complexity-related methodologies in product development; Cooperative workgroups for collaborative product design

  • Managing Complex Engineered Systems
    Emergent/self-organized control methods for CES; Human-Computer Interactions; Managing the risk of CES accidents; Managing the risk of vulnerability to targeted attack

  • Ethical, Social, Economic and Political Dimensions of CES
    Accountability and responsibility in self-organized, decentralized systems; Dissociation of ownership and control in CES; Security in networked complex systems; Effect of CES paradigms on classical socioeconomic and political models; Resource utilization and costs in CES; Potential hazards of autonomous, adaptive complex systems to human society

  • Specific Complex Engineering Systems
    Ecology of the World Wide Web, Collaborating Distributed Micro-satellites, Smart Materials and Structures, Smart Retailing and Warehousing Environments, Intelligent Traffic Networks, Tissue Engineering

• Evolution and Ecology / Population change

• Nonlinear dynamics and Pattern formation

• Physical systems, Quantum and Classical

• Learning / Neural, Psychological and Psycho-Social Systems

• Concepts, Formalisms, Methods and Tools

• Analysis and Expression in the Arts and Humanities

Special Conference Sessions:

• Networks: This year's conference has a special focus day (Friday) and additional presentations throughout the week on networks. Social, biological, technological networks are all of interest. The structure and dynamics of network formation, as well as the dynamics of network response are all included. 

• Systems Biology: The development of systems thinking in biology building on advances in high-throughput data acquisition for understanding system interactions and behavior.

• Modeling Social Systems: Advances in our understanding of how to build and validate models of social networks and their interactions, and the behavior of social systems with relevance to socio-economic, and psycho-social issues including interactions with the environment, technology, global concerns and other areas of interest. 

• Complex Systems Engineering: Advances in the process of systems engineering for highly complex real-time systems, engineering motivated by biological forms and processes, distributed control and design processes, self-organization and self-monitoring systems, and system robustness characterization and design.

• Evolution and Ecology: Advances in our understanding of the interactions between evolution and the structure and dynamics of ecosystems, internal and external interactions, biodiversity, and the robustness of ecosystems. The role of human actions and interventions, both on global and local properties of ecological importance. The development of ecological and / or evolutionary modeling.

• Patterns and Pattern Formation: The mathematical description of spatial, temporal and spatio-temporal pattern formation and its implications for experiments on patterns in physical, chemical, biological and social systems. Experimental characterization of patterns in all contexts.

Systems Engineering of Complex Systems Conference

NECSI and INCOSE are co-sponsoring a conference on the Systems Engineering of Complex Systems in association with the International Conference on Complex Systems 2007 to be held in Boston Oct 28 - Nov 2, 2007.

Recognizing the potential impact of complexity and complexity science on the continued evolution and maturation of Systems Engineering, and the need for venues for the presentation and distribution of active research and practice in this area, INCOSE is soliciting papers on the Systems Engineering of those systems often described with the terms system of systems, ultra-large systems, mega-systems, and enterprises. We are particularly looking for thoughts, scholarship, and experiences in the areas where multiple, independent stakeholder communities collide; or where the "system" under study is not under the control of a single entity; or where the character of the social, cultural, or business aspects impact the technical.

Topic area examples include:

• Implications of complexity considerations on standard process areas, e.g. Configuration Management / Insight, Standards and standardization, Testing, Change Management, Risk & risk management, Architectures and architecting, Design.

• Convergence Points & Protocols

• Variety and Selection

• Mechanisms of evolution in engineering systems

• Nature and mechanisms of emergence

• Implications of emergence

• Emergence insight and management

• Systems assembly and composition

• Systems ecology

• Closure of side-effects over collections of systems

• Collective non-designed behavior

• Indirect Engineering

• Patterns of systems / Patterns among systems

• Effects of change and environmental pressure

• Value assessment and selective pressure

• The description and nature of enterprises

• Regimens for complex systems engineering (cSE)

• Field reports on the use of Regimens in cSE

• Balancing Stakeholder interests within a complex engineered system