Yasumasa Nishiura

Laboratory of Nonlinear Studies and Computation
Research Institute for Electronic Science
Hokkaido University

[N12 W6 Sapporo, 060-0812, JAPAN]

Modeling NATURE

We are surrounded by fascinating nature. She presents us a variety of beautiful morphologies and dynamic patterns like snow crystal,chemical reaction, clouds in the sky, and the Galaxy in space. All these systems consist of simple elements, but display stable- large-scale patterns through interaction. The aim is to construct mathematical and/or computational models of those phenomena to explain and predict their dynamics,and extract skeleton mechanisms. Computer simulation is indispensable for exploring complex nonlinear world and detects a universal structure imbedded in realities. Our interests is to make a model out of pure information, not matter. It is in some sense close to an art object like Picasso's portrait, which is apparently different from real things, but captures essential features as a metaphor. One could say we are seeking meta-laws in nature and emergent dynamics in their micro worlds.