Welcome to The Centre for Complex Systems
The centre is one of the largest in the UK working on statistical mechanics aspects of dynamical systems and stochastic systems, and on complex systems and complex networks.
We have a broad range of research interests in mathematical foundations of dynamical systems theory, in statistical physics and stochastic modelling methods as applied to non-equilibrium situations, and in the mathematical description and modelling of the architecture and dynamics of complex systems and networks. A significant part of our research work has applications in an interdisciplinary context.
Our theoretical research explores cutting-edge topics in:
- Non-equilibrium processes
- Stochastic modelling
- Ergodic theory
- Topological dynamics
- Nonlinear dynamics and chaos
- Network theory
Applied research highlights include:
- Cancer evolution and species interactions in biological systems
- Mathematical and Digital Epidemiology
- Social networks, team dynamics and success
- Quantitative urbanism, smart cities and energy
- Sustainable energy systems and consumer behaviour
- Statistical aspects of air pollution and water quality
- Movement Ecology
The research outputs of our Centre for Complex Systems are highly cited: In total the published work of the academic staff members in our centre has received more than 100,000 citations. The centre has an excellent track record in publishing in high impact journals: in the past 5 years we have published articles in Nature, Nature Communications, Nature Physics, Nature Machine Intelligence, Nature Human Behaviour, Nature Energy, Nature Genetics, Science Advances, and many more top journals.
Events
![]() 15:00 - 16:00 | Hernan Makse (City U New York): Can symmetry describe Biological (and Artificial) complexity? ![]() Centre for Complex Systems |
![]() 14:00 - 15:00 | IEEE Distinguished Lecture on Sensor Location Optimisation for Effective and Robust Beamforming Centre for Electronics |
Tue 10 - Thu 12 Jun 2025 | Charting Complexity Centre for Complex Systems |
![]() 11:30 - 12:30 | Terahertz and Water presented by Dr Fabio Novelli from The University of Southampton ![]() Centre for Electronics |
News

08-05-2025
Faculty of Science and Engineering

04-03-2025
Faculty of Science and Engineering
Recent Publications
- Global Topological Dirac Synchronization
Carletti T, Giambagli L, Muolo R and Bianconi G
Journal of Physics: Complexity, Iop Publishing
07-05-2025 - Dirac-equation signal processing: Physics boosts topological machine learning
Wang R, Tian Y, Liò P and Bianconi G
Pnas Nexus, Oxford University Press (OUP)
02-05-2025 - Adaptive Therapy Exploits Fitness Deficits in Chemotherapy-Resistant Ovarian Cancer to Achieve Long-Term Tumor Control.
Hockings H, Lakatos E, Huang W, Mossner M, Khan MA, Bakali N, McDermott J, Smith K, Baker A-M, Graham TA and Lockley M
Cancer Research, American Association For Cancer Research (Aacr)
29-04-2025
Recent Grants
- Stability of the South African Power Grid - A data driven statistical physics approach
Christian Beck
£361,998 Science & Technology Research Council (STFC)Grant Summary
13-02-2025 - 12-02-2027 - Nicola Perra - US Army Lab research
Nicola Perra
£71,665 U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory
24-06-2024 - 23-06-2025 - Predicting the Impacts of Global Environmental Change on Ecological Networks
Athen Ma, Vito Latora and Pavel Kratina
£389,809 NERC Natural Environment Research Council
01-06-2024 - 31-05-2027