Upcoming!  January 30, 2026, Friday, 03:00PM (GMT+03.00, Moscow), IKI, Room 200

Abstract:

Critical phenomena occur when a physical system approaches a critical point, a threshold at which the system may suddenly lose stability or transition smoothly to another stable state. Hazardous events can accompany these critical transitions. Therefore, it is essential to develop strategies to predict potential issues, mitigate threats, and prevent them before they arise.

Universal patterns in the dynamics of transient processes have been identified across various fields, including natural sciences, engineering, and medicine. Significant advancements have been made in understanding critical transitions in heart rate dynamics, transitions through critical temperatures in liquid crystals, and the suppression of thermoacoustic instability. Notably, a groundbreaking discovery in the 200-year history of monsoon research has revealed universal features of critical transitions in the monsoon system. A comprehensive theory of critical transitions in monsoons has been developed, along with a revolutionary method for predicting their onset and withdrawal.

These findings validate the universality of the critical transition theory and demonstrate its relevance to natural, biomedical, and engineering systems. This opens new avenues for applying methods from nonlinear dynamics and statistical physics to manage complex technical systems and develop strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change on human life and property.