Sommaire:

Interfaces of theoretical physics with other fields vary along two axes: whether exhaustive microscopic knowledge is available to construct models, and whether physics provides substance or only tools. I will argue that even interfaces that are remote on both counts, e.g. with economics, ecology and evolution, can open important new questions in our field, while answering these questions is likely to happen at more controlled interfaces, e.g. with cell biology.

From kinetic theories of economic interactions to spin glass phases in ecological dynamics, I will discuss some examples in my experience that either resonated or not with scientists in other fields, and sometimes pushed our tools in unexpected directions, to ask when physics can have a meaningful two-way interaction with these other theoretical corpora.
I will in particular propose that statistical physics can give a sharp meaning to the notion of biological function, which other sciences have largely failed to theorize. In turn, this notion poses definite mathematical and empirical questions in systems such as transport and metabolic networks, which can provide a testing ground for theoretical ideas across interfaces.

Pour plus d'informations, merci de contacter Parmeggiani A.