Symmetry and Its Applications in Complex Systems
A special issue of Entropy (ISSN 1099-4300). This special issue belongs to the section "Complexity".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2027 | Viewed by 19
Special Issue Editors
Interests: phase transition; complex networks; opinion dynamics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
2. Departamento de Física, Centro de Ciências Exatas e da Natureza, CCEN, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Cidade Universitária, João Pessoa 58051-970, Brazil
3. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
Interests: phase transition; Monte Carlo simulations; Barabási–Albert network opinion dynamics systems; condensed matter physics
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Symmetry plays a fundamental role in our understanding of collective phenomena in complex systems, particularly in the context of phase transitions and critical behavior. In statistical physics, symmetry considerations often determine the universality class of a system, independently of microscopic details. A paradigmatic example is the $\mathbb{Z}_2$ (up–down) symmetry, which governs the behavior of ferromagnetic systems such as the Ising model and extends naturally to a large class of nonequilibrium models exhibiting order–disorder transitions.
In recent decades, growing attention has been devoted to nonequilibrium systems defined on complex networks, motivated by applications in social, biological, and technological contexts. Within this framework, models of opinion dynamics have emerged as powerful tools to investigate how simple local interactions can lead to rich collective behavior at the macroscopic level. Among these, the majority-vote (MV) model stands out as a prototypical example, combining stochastic dynamics with symmetry preservation. Despite the absence of detailed balance, it reproduces key features of equilibrium systems, including well-defined phase transitions.
More general approaches, such as models incorporating heterogeneous interactions and stochastic rules, provide a broader perspective on collective dynamics. When implemented on complex topologies, including Erdős–Rényi networks, these systems may exhibit modified critical properties due to the interplay between randomness and connectivity. As a result, complex networks offer a natural framework for exploring how interaction rules and topology jointly shape nonequilibrium phase transitions.
Prof. Dr. Francisco W. De Sousa Lima
Dr. J. A. Plascak
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- symmetry
- phase transition
- complex network
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