Emergent Complexity in Physical Systems

The Emerging Complexity in Physical Systems Laboratory at EPFL focuses on studying how seemingly simple physical systems give rise to unexpectedly complex patterns and dynamic behavior. They explore a wide range of phenomena, from complex laminar turbulent patterns in shear flows to the deformation of droplets in microfluidic applications. Using a combination of continuum mechanics, transport theory, dynamical systems methods, and large computer simulations, the lab delves into understanding turbulence as a chaotic walk between exact equilibrium and traveling-wave solutions to the Navier-Stokes equations. Additionally, they investigate drag reduction due to polymers in fluids and the buckling behavior of elastic shells, aiming to unravel the mysteries behind these phenomena.