Bertrand Ottino-Loffler, Ph.D.

“Complex systems” is an umbrella term that covers a variety of biological, social, and physical topics, usually characterized by the presence of a large population of interacting agents. While understanding a complex system in full is important, the numerous parameters and interactions make it difficult. But in many cases, it is possible to create a simplified model to capture the fundamental physics and complexity. Bertrand Ottino-Loffler has developed and examined a variety of such systems, combining techniques from dynamical systems, stochastic processes, network theory, and computer simulation. Ottino-Loffler has previously studied the dynamics of population synchronization (using the Kuramoto model), the statistics of disease incubation periods (using the Moran model), and the origins of the newly popular Richards population growth model (using a seascape sPDE).