32nd Seminar

This wondrous and complex world

Prof. Ram Ramaswamy
Visiting Professor
IIT Delhi

Abstract
In the past few years we have increasingly become aware of the interrelatedness of many phenomena on the “human scale”. Many such phenomena cannot be analysed through a reductionist approach and need to be understood at a systems level. This has given rise to the area termed complexity science and in this talk, I will discuss this field through select examples.

Speaker Bio
Prof.Ram obtained his PhD from Princeton University and worked at Caltech before returning to India and joining TIFR. He later moved to JNU as one of the first members of the School of Physical Sciences. After his retirement in 2018, he is a visiting professor in IIT Delhi.

He has been the Vice Chancellor of University of Hyderabad from 2011-2015. He was Vice President of the Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, as well as of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore. He served as President of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, during 2016–2018.

Slides
31st Seminar

Weighted Socio-Ecological Multiplex Systems

Prof. Arnaud Z  Dragicevic
Visiting Professor in Economics
 Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

Abstract
Herein we study a weighted multilayered socio-ecological network system in sustainability, in which a policy reform is applied to one or more layers of the network. We investigate the knock-on effect from this reform and the influence of centrality of nodes in spreading the reform. Our model highlights the properties allowing to reach a positive density of reformed nodes inside a layer and across the layers. The system stability is contingent on the synchronization across the multiplex network. Our results suggest that sustainability may be best achieved when the central nodes are the greatest propagators of an essential reform. In terms of policy-making, in particular on the management and governance of natural resources, our framework offers a brand new perspective on the polycentric governance; it even enriches it through new attributes.

Speaker Bio
Prof. Dr. Arnaud Z. Dragicevic is a visiting professor in economics at Chulalongkorn University. He holds a Ph.D degree from École Polytechnique [IP Paris] and an Sc.D degree or Habilitation from the Aix-Marseille School of Economics [AMU]. His research interests include bioeconomics, socio-ecological systems and sustainability. The modeling tools he holds in high regard are the graph- and game-theoretic settings seen as governed by evolutionary dynamics.

Recording

Complex Systems & Dynamics     Indian Institute of Technology Madras     Chennai 600036     India