We present and study the behavior of a simple kinetic model for the melting of RNA secondary structures, given that those structures are known. The model is then used as a map that assigns structure dependent overall rate constants of melting (or refolding) to a sequence. This induces a...

We suggest that group effect need not be invoked to explain the differences in latency times exhibited by groups of different sizes in the initiation of building in the termite {\it Macrotermes subhyalinus} (Rambur), and in the initiation of aggressive behavior in various subspecies of the honey...

Recent investigations have uncovered large, consistent deviations from the predictions of the textbook representation of Homo Economicus: in addition to their own material payoffs, many experimental subjects appear to care about fairness and reciprocity and reward those who act in a cooperative...

We investigate the problem of learning to play a generalized rock-paper-scissors game. Each player attempts to improve her average score by adjusting the frequency of the three possible responses. For the zero-sum case the learning process displays Hamiltonian chaos. The learning trajectory can...

In this paper we introduce a new approach to optimization problems based on a previous theoretical work on extinction patterns in macroevolution. We name them Macroevolutionary Algorithms (MA). Unlike population-level evolution, which is employed in standard genetic algorithms, evolution at the...

The brain is a vastly complex dynamical system. Cognitive functions such as memory, learning, volition, and consciousness seem to emerge as high level properties from the activity of billions of neurons sparsely connected into complex networks. What is it about networks that allows such...

Simulating a cellular automata (CA) for t time-steps into the future requires t[super 2] serial computation steps or t parallel ones. However, certain CAs based on an Abelian group, such as addition mod 2, are termed linear because they obey a principle of superposition. This allows them to be...

We investigate the structure of scientific collaboration networks. We consider two scientists to be connected if they have authored a paper together, and construct explicit networks of such connections using data drawn from a number of databases, including MEDLINE (biomedical research), the Los...

The Bayesian ``evidence'' approximation, which is closely related to generalized maximum likelihood, has recently been employed to determine the noise and weight-penalty terms for training neural nets. This paper shows that it is far simpler to perform the exact calculation than it is to set up...

Spatially extended excitable systems exhibit a variety of spatiotemporal dynamics--from stable to chaotic. These dynamics can change under pathological conditions and impair normal functions. Thus being able to control the altered dynamics for improved functioning has potential for wide ranging...