Stochastic Processes and Stochastic Chains in Biology, Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics

Many processes occurring in nature and those being studied in engineering and economics can be realistically described only by time-dependent random variables. As an example we mention an urban electricity market: The electric consumption of a city at a certain time t has a random fluctuation that is dependent on the actual demand of the households and industry. The electric consumption can be considered as a continuous random variable X. When the observation time t changes, electric consumption is a continuous random variable at every moment, so it is a function of time. The stochastic analysis of time-dependent random variables leads to the concept of stochastic processes.

Stochastic processes arise in all scientific topics, in optics e.g. for describing fluctuations of light sources, detectors  and lasers, represent turbulence in fluid mechanics, describe pattern formation in chemistry, morphogenesis in biology, brain function in neurology, behavior of stock exchange prices in economics, can model the formation and “locking-in” of public opinion in sociology. In addition, in biochemical processes stochastics and statistics play an important role. Gene expression, and transcription changes, for example, have a stochastic component through the molecular collisions — as during binding and unbinding of RNA and DNA. 

The school will be focused on the following topics:

• modelling stochastic processes,
• understanding statistic evaluations and data,
• big data mining and machine learning,
• relation to physics / chemistry nomenclature: classical thermodynamic quantities,
• statistical thermodynamics.

Invited speakers come from Masaryk University, Brno. Besides the teaching schedule two poster sessions will enable students to present their work and discuss ideas in an relaxed atmosphere. 

Stochastic Processes are universal and arise ubiquitous in nature: therefore MSc and PhD students from the following disciplines are invited to attend: (micro-) biology, genetics, mathematics, (bio-) chemistry, (bio-) physics, material science and engineering. The Sunday lectures will be used as a refresher in mathematics and physics.  

ORGANISING INSTITUTION:

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: 14th August 2016

SCHOOL INVITATION FLYER IS AVAILABLE HERE.

SCHOOL INFORMATION AND PROGRAMME ARE AVAILABLE HERE.