Training school: Monday 12 & Tuesday 13 April 2027
Research workshop: Wednesday 14 – Friday 16 April 2027
Many physical systems can shift abruptly between stable states and can be well modelled by non-linear dynamical systems and stochastic processes. While these systems often fluctuate around a stable state, where bi- or multi-stability exists, it is possible for a perturbation or small change in the forcing to result in an abrupt change in the system. When the timescale of the transitions is long compared to the system’s natural timescale, these events are rare, and direct simulation can be so computationally expensive as to be impractical. Large deviations theory offers a mathematical framework for understanding and quantifying such transitions. Within this framework, probabilities of fluctuations can be understood, and most-probable paths calculated. Instanton methods can be used to determine the transition paths between states, while action principles and quasipotentials can be used to understand the underlying potential of the system, and provide an estimate of practical statistics such as transition rates and exit time in the low noise limit (Freidlin & Wentzell, 1984).
Understanding transitions between states in non-linear dynamical systems holds many applications, e.g. climate tipping points, ecology, mathematical disease modelling, chemical physics, and financial instabilities, which in turn have profound societal impacts. This workshop will bring together academics working across these themes and applications, providing time for cross-disciplinary discussions and showcasing emerging methodologies.
The training school will include longer one-hour lectures aimed at PhD students and early career researchers, plus two or three longer hands-on sessions focusing on computational implementations, a panel discussion session, and student poster presentations.
The research workshop will contain longer invited talks, shorter contributed talks and poster presentations. There will also be time for discussions and networking.
FAQs
Can I just attend half the week?
It will be possible to attend only the second half of the week (research workshop). For students and ECRs attending the training school, we strongly suggest attending for the entire week.
Will accommodation be booked for me?
Participants are expected to arrange and fund their own accommodation. Hotels will only be arranged for invited speakers who will be notified of this.
How much will registration cost?
Workshop cost will be confirmed when applications open, and is expected to be a couple of hundred pounds. We expect to be able to offer some small travel grants for students who would otherwise be unable to attend due to funding constraints.
When will registration open?
Registration is expected to open in the autumn, with participants being informed of successful applications early in 2027.
When should I arrive?
The schedule will be confirmed in early 2027. We suggest arriving the day before the workshop starts since both halves of the workshop are expected to start in the morning. We anticipate an early finish on the last day to allow for travel time.
