Phase Transitions in Complex and Nonequilibrium Systems: From Criticality to Topological and Active Matter
A special issue of Entropy (ISSN 1099-4300). This special issue belongs to the section "Statistical Physics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2026 | Viewed by 52
Special Issue Editors
Interests: statistical physics; nonlinear systems; dynamical phase transitions; dynamical systems
Interests: social networks; dynamical systems; chaos
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: dynamical systems; nonlinear dynamics; chaos theory; mathematical modelling; complex behaviour; complex systems; complex networks; synchronisation and applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Phase transitions remain one of the cornerstones of statistical physics and nonlinear science, providing deep insights into the emergence of collective behavior and universality across a wide range of systems. Traditionally classified according to the Ehrenfest scheme, based on discontinuities in the free-energy derivatives, phase transitions have long been characterized by order parameters, symmetry breaking, and critical exponents.
However, many modern complex systems challenge this classical framework: they may lack well-defined free energy, exhibit nonequilibrium dynamics, or involve topological features without a definition of a local order parameter. These include transitions in active matter, complex networks, and systems displaying self-organized criticality. Moreover, advances in quantum materials, neural networks, and data-driven modeling have opened up new frontiers for identifying and understanding phase transitions in unconventional settings.
This Special Issue aims to gather contributions exploring the forefront of phase transitions in complex systems, with emphasis on, but not limited to, the following topics:
- Nonequilibrium phase transitions, absorbing states, and dynamic order parameters;
- Topological phase transitions, including Kosterlitz–Thouless-type behavior and topologically protected states;
- Phase transitions in complex networks, such as explosive percolation and synchronization phenomena;
- Self-organized criticality and its relevance to natural and engineered systems;
- Phase transitions in active matter and systems with collective motility;
- Universal behavior in disordered systems, glasses, and jamming transitions;
- Quantum phase transitions at zero temperature and their critical phenomena;
- Machine learning and data-driven approaches to detect and classify phase transitions;
- New frameworks for criticality beyond traditional universality classes;
- Interdisciplinary applications, from biology to social systems and artificial intelligence.
We invite researchers to submit high-quality contributions, including both original research articles and reviews, that advance our theoretical, numerical, or experimental understanding of these topics. The goal is to provide a broad and inspiring perspective on how concepts of phase transitions are evolving to address the complexity of modern science.
Prof. Dr. Edson Denis Leonel
Dr. Diego Fregolent Mendes de Oliveira
Dr. Chris G. Antonopoulos
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Entropy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- nonequilibrium phase transitions
- topological phase transitions
- self-organized criticality
- collective behavior
- critical phenomena
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