The Instituto de Fisica Interdisciplinar y Sistemas ComplejosOfficial Spanish website
/ref> (IFISC), or in English the Institute for Cross-Disciplinary Physics and Complex Systems, is a Research Institute in Europe involved in the study of

complex systems A complex system is a system composed of many components which may interact with each other. Examples of complex systems are Earth's global climate, organisms, the human brain, infrastructure such as power grid, transportation or communication s ...

and complex phenomena, staffed by permanent professors and researchers, non-tenured Postdoctoral researchers and Ph.D. and Master students. It is a joint research unit between the Spanish National Research Council ( CSIC) and the University of the Balearic Islands ( UIB),"About IFISC"
- IFISC website situated in

Palma de Mallorca Palma (; ; also known as ''Palma de Mallorca'', officially between 1983–88, 2006–08, and 2012–16) is the capital and largest city of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. It is situate ...

, Spain.

Background

IFISC was created in 2007, as an initiative of the members of the former Cross-Disciplinary Physics Department of the Mediterranean Institute for Advance Studies (IMEDEA). The institute particularly performs research at the border of physics with other disciplines that range from social sciences to natural sciences and information technology. IFISC members develop interdisciplinary research from the physicists’ point of view. To this end, the research methodology comprises the transfer of knowledge, concepts and methods from physics to other well established disciplines. IFISC claims to focus on advanced studies with potential applications, avoiding the polarization between

basic BASIC (Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages designed for ease of use. The original version was created by John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz at Dartmouth College ...

and

applied science Applied science is the use of the scientific method and knowledge obtained via conclusions from the method to attain practical goals. It includes a broad range of disciplines such as engineering and medicine. Applied science is often contrasted ...

. The research followed by the institute manifests itself in the basis of a transverse line of exploratory nature covering the generic phenomena of nonlinear physics and complex systems, with tools borrowed form Statistical Physics,

Dynamical Systems In mathematics, a dynamical system is a system in which a function describes the time dependence of a point in an ambient space. Examples include the mathematical models that describe the swinging of a clock pendulum, the flow of water in a p ...

Information Theory Information theory is the scientific study of the quantification (science), quantification, computer data storage, storage, and telecommunication, communication of information. The field was originally established by the works of Harry Nyquist a ...

, Computational Methods and

Quantum Mechanics Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that provides a description of the physical properties of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles. It is the foundation of all quantum physics including quantum chemistry, ...

. The main research line is complemented by a group of sublines of transfer of knowledge from that line, that include quantum physics and nanoscience, nonlinear photonics and information technologies, geophysical fluids, biocomplex systems and social and socio-technical systems. Since 2012 IFISC has been running a Master program in Complex systems. The program focuses on the fundamental aspects that are necessary to understand the

paradigm In science and philosophy, a paradigm () is a distinct set of concepts or thought patterns, including theories, research methods, postulates, and standards for what constitute legitimate contributions to a field. Etymology ''Paradigm'' comes f ...

of complex systems, including training in theoretical, computational and experimental work.

References

External links

Institute for Cross-Disciplinary Physics and Complex SystemsIMEDEA
{{authority control Research institutes established in 2007 Research institutes in Spain