Introduction: statistical mechanics of molecular and cellular biological systems

Introduction: statistical mechanics of molecular and cellular biological systems.

This issue of Interface contains a set of papers linked to a remarkable programme of research collaboration held at the Isaac Newton Institute for the Mathematical Sciences, Cambridge, UK in the first 6 months of 2004. The Newton Institute opened its doors for ‘Statistical Mechanics of Biomolecular and Cellular Systems’ (or ‘SMC’) after 3 years of preparation by the organizers to make sure that...

Introduction to Statistical Mechanics of Charged Systems

The paper is the summary of lectures given in São Carlos, Brazil during the 2004 Summer School on Statistical Mechanics. My objective was to provide the students with some basic tools necessary to study the thermodynamics of Coulomb systems. I have restricted myself to simple models and techniques, which nevertheless, when used correctly can give a clear insight into the fundamental physics beh...

Statistical Mechanics of Biological Networks

This paper outlines an approach to the topological analysis of large-scale biological networks. The approach uses concepts from statistical mechanics and information theory to develop automated analysis methods able to generate empirically testable hypotheses about the entities in the networks based on the topology of their connections.

Introduction to Nonextensive Statistical Mechanics

Introduction to Nonextensive Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics *

In this lecture we briefly review the definition, consequences and applications of an entropy, Sq, which generalizes the usual Boltzmann-Gibbs entropy SBG (S1 = SBG), basis of the usual statistical mechanics, well known to be applicable whenever ergodicity is satisfied at the microscopic dynamical level. Such entropy Sq is based on the notion of q-exponential and presents properties not shared ...