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Statistical Physics and Complex Systems

Group “Statistical Physics and Condensed Matter”

Statistical Physics and Complex Systems The activities of the “Statistical Physics and Complex Systems” team cover a wide spectrum. The first research direction concerns rigorous statistical mechanics, in particular the study of phase transitions in exactly solvable cases and/or from a geometric perspective. The second direction concerns the statistical physics of open quantum systems (out of equilibrium), and the development of models and analytical tools to study non-equilibrium steady states. The third direction focuses on the statistical physics of complex systems and complex networks, from the study of their structure to the study of dynamical processes on networks, and is pioneering in the study of temporal networks. Since the network paradigm can be used to describe many systems of different origins and natures, our research is interdisciplinary, including interactions with the social sciences, epidemiology, computer science, and neuroscience.

The team also participates in the Convergence Institute CENTURI. Since 2019 it has hosted three PIs partially funded by CENTURI, whose research topics concern collective effects and self-organization in living systems, cell mechanics, and neuroscience. They interact with experimental groups at IBDM and INMED.

The methods used by the team members range from rigorous mathematical tools to numerical simulations and the analysis of empirical data, covering the full range of standard approximation tools in statistical physics.

Team's directory

AGOSTINELLI Cosimo

Ph.D.

Contact
ASCH Joachim

Research teacher

+33.4.91.26.95.20

Contact
ASCHBACHER Walter

Research teacher

+33.4.91.26.95.16

Contact
BARRAT Alain

Researcher

Director

+33.4.91.26.95.40

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BREIER Patrick

Visitor

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ESTAVOYER Maxime

Post Ph.D.

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GAMBAUDO Juliette

Ph.D.

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GANDOLFO Daniel

Research teacher

+33.4.91.26.95.10

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GENOIS Mathieu

Research teacher

Team leader « Statistical Physics and Complex Systems »

+33.4.91.26.95.42

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IANNELLO Ludovico

Ph.D.

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MANCASTROPPA Marco

Post Ph.D.

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MAURIAL Gabriel

Ph.D.

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MERKEL Matthias

Researcher

+33.4.91.26.95.12

Contact
NATH Sujit-Kumar

Post Ph.D.

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PEREZ Pablo

Ph.D.

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PILLET Claude-Alain

Research teacher

+33.4.91.26.95.32

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PLOTZE Yan

Ph.D.

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QAZI Saaheelur-Rahaman

Ph.D.

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ROUAULT Herve

Researcher

+33.4.91.26.95.13

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ROULEUX Michel

Research teacher

+33.4.91.26.97.97

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RUPPRECHT Jean-Francois

Researcher

+33.4.91.26.95.14

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SABY Florian

Ph.D.

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SHLOSMAN Senya

Researcher emeritus

+33.4.91.26.95.31

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VIEIRA-MENDES Toni

Post Ph.D.

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VINZE Prathmesh

Post Ph.D.

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WANG Michael

Post Ph.D.

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ZETT Lukas

Ph.D.

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Team's publications

A model of 3D confluent tissue behaves as an under- constrained glass

Chengling Li, Matthias Merkel, Daniel M. Sussman

2026

Preprint, Working paper


Emerging activity temporal hypergraph: A model for generating realistic time-varying hypergraphs

Marco Mancastroppa, Giulia Cencetti, Alain Barrat

2026

Preprint, Working paper


Higher-order dissimilarity measures for hypergraph comparison

Cosimo Agostinelli, Marco Mancastroppa, Alain Barrat

2026

Preprint, Working paper


A non-invasive approach for understanding localized force generation in 3D tissues

Niels Gouirand, Manar Ibrahimi, Claire Valotteau, Brice Lecouffe, André Le Bivic, Dominique Massey-Harroche, Félix Rico, Matthias Merkel, Delphine Delacour, Elsa Bazellières

2026

Preprint, Working paper


Multilayer network science: theory, methods, and applications

Alberto Aleta, Andreia Sofia Teixeira, Guilherme Ferraz de Arruda, Andrea Baronchelli, Alain Barrat, Oriol Artime, Michele Starnini, Giovanni Petri, Siddharth Patwardhan, Kathryn Coronges, et al.

Journal of Complex Networks, 2026, 14 (2), (10.1093/comnet/cnag007)

Journal articles


Entropy Maximization and Weak Gibbsianity of Quasi-Free Fermionic States

Vojkan Jakšić, Claude-Alain Pillet, Anna Szczepanek

2026

HAL

Preprint, Working paper


Adhesion differentials control the rheology of biomimetic emulsions

Quentin Guigue, Marc Besse, Raphael Voituriez, Alexis M. Prevost, Elie Wandersman, Matthias Merkel, Lea-Laetitia Pontani

Biophysical Journal, 2026, 125 (7), pp.1686-1700. (10.1016/j.bpj.2026.03.004)

Journal articles


Non-linear visco-elasto-plastic rheology of a viscous vertex model

Shalabh Anand, Matthias Merkel

2026

Preprint, Working paper


Adaptive behaviors neutralize bistable explosive transitions in higher-order contagion

Marco Mancastroppa, Márton Karsai, Alain Barrat

2026

Preprint, Working paper


Higher-order adaptive behaviors outperform pairwise strategies in mitigating contagion dynamics

Marco Mancastroppa, Márton Karsai, Alain Barrat

2026

Preprint, Working paper