2026 arrives with force at the UBICS, which reactivates the celebration of its mini-courses. This new edition will be focused on complex networks. This is a free activity aimed at undergraduate students who will be introduced to complex networks, one of the most important tools in the modern scientific research environment, starting with the basic principles, the application of networks in neuroscience, and linking with more advanced concepts such as the importance of geometry and the use of statistical mechanics tools.
The mini-course will be structured in 4 sessions of one hour and 15 minutes, and will take place on Wednesdays 11, 18, 25 February and 4 March, from 13:45 to 15:00 hours in the Aula de Graus Eduard Fontserè of the Facultat de Física of the UB (Accés Pau Gargallo – Floor 1).
To participate, you just need to register using the following form.
You have until February 4, 2026, to complete the registration process.
Anyone who attends a minimum of 3 sessions will be able to request a certificate of attendance, which can be requested at ubics@ub.edu.
SUMMARY AND PROGRAM OF THE MINI-COURSE OF COMPLEX NETWORKS
Complex networks have been consolidated over the last decade as one of the most relevant tools in the physics of complex systems. The seemingly simple concept of nodes interacting through links hides great mathematical and physical richness. Networks have allowed us to understand phenomenologies as diverse as the interaction of genes and proteins in bacteria, the spread of pandemics or changes in opinion in human social networks. In this mini-course we will present the basic concepts of complex networks and their application in the field of neuroscience. We will also introduce ideas of great physical interest that facilitate the transition from a relatively simple description to an advanced one, capable of identifying key phenomena such as highly relevant nodes, the emergence of symmetries or the characterization of interactions between nodes.
Program
Session 1. February 11. Introduction to complex networks, Oriol Artime
An outline of different examples of networks and key mathematical concepts will be provided.
Session 2. February 18 Networks in neuroscience: from cultures to the brain, Jordi Soriano
We will discuss networks in the context of the healthy and diseased brain, and how neurons in culture allow us to model and alter the characteristics of networks.
Session 3. February 25. Network geometry, renormalization and symmetry, María Ángeles Serrano
Advanced mathematical concepts will be introduced to describe networks and detect important aspects such as symmetries and important nodes.
Session 4. March 4. The statistical mechanics of complex networks, Marián Boguñá
Complex networks will be connected with statistical mechanics concepts, allowing for the understanding of key emerging properties such as interactions or information flow.
