npj Complexity | Variational, Nonequilibrium, and Optimization Principles of the Coevolution of Structure and Dynamics in Complex Systems
Dr. Georgi Y. Georgiev, Dr. Antoine Allard, and Dr. Laurent Hébert-Dufresne invite submissions for a collection on "Variational, Nonequilibrium, and Optimization Principles of the Coevolution of Structure and Dynamics in Complex Systems" that they are editing for the journal npj Complexity.
Dear community,
Across physics, biology, computation, and social systems, a recurring theme defines the frontier of our field: structure and dynamics do not merely interact—they coevolve. Constraints shape flows; flows reshape constraints. As feedback deepens, new organizational levels appear, and old ones dissolve. Understanding this reciprocal process is one of the central scientific challenges of complex systems research today.
To advance this effort, npj Complexity invites submissions to the new Collection: “Variational, Nonequilibrium, and Optimization Principles of the Coevolution of Structure and Dynamics in Complex Systems”
- Submission deadline: 3 August 2026
- Details: https://www.nature.com/collections/jhfedbcdaf
The Collection brings together work that uses variational reasoning, nonequilibrium physics, information theory, optimal control, and learning dynamics to reveal how systems reorganize under noise, dissipation, and feedback. We especially encourage contributions that connect these principles to measurable phenomena, computational models, or new conceptual frameworks. Topics of interest include:
- Variational or action-based formulations for adaptive, evolving, or learning systems
- Nonequilibrium thermodynamics and entropy production in self-organizing processes
- Optimization, control-theoretic, and game-theoretic principles underlying feedback and adaptation
- Coevolution of network topology and dynamics in biological, ecological, and socio-technical systems
- Emergence of new levels of structure through dynamic symmetry breaking
- Cross-scale integration: linking microscopic mechanisms to macroscopic organization
- Empirical or simulation results testing variational or nonequilibrium predictions
- Conceptual and mathematical frameworks that unify structure–dynamics feedback
Submissions will follow npj Complexity’s high standards of peer review, and interdisciplinary work is especially welcome.
If you wish to discuss the fit of a potential manuscript, please feel free to reach out. My contact: ggeorgie@assumption.edu
We look forward to showcasing the insights and creativity of the CSS community and advancing the search for unifying principles in complex systems.
Regards,
Georgi Georgiev
Source and more information: https://www.nature.com/collections/jhfedbcdaf
