We present a model for dune formation that takes saturation transients in the saltation layer into account. We show that these transients introduce a characteristic length scale that is crucial for dune formation and the macroscopic shape of dunes, albeit determined by intrinsic properties of...

We report surprisingly regular behaviors observed for a class 4 cellular automaton, the totalistic rule 20: starting from disordered initial configurations the automaton produces patterns which are periodic not only in time but also in space. This is the first evidence that different types of...

We apply Kauffman's automata on small-world networks to study the crossover between the short-range and the infinite-range case. We perform accurate calculations on square lattices to obtain both critical exponents and fractal dimensions. Particularly, we find an increase of the damage...

We propose a two-dimensional geometrical model that takes into account geometrical effects of frustration in the rearrangement processes in granular systems. In particular we related the microscopic motor of compaction to the need of cooperative rearrangements in order to find a better packing....

How often will elections end in landslides and what is the probability for a head-to-head race? Analyzing ballot results from several large countries rather anomalous and yet unexplained distributions have been observed. We identify tactical voting as the driving ingredient for the anomalies and...

The design of efficient large scale networks is a common problem in Operations Research. Some of those, such as electric power grids, transportation systems, communication networks, and others, must maintain their efficiency even after several failures, or malicious attacks. In this work, we...

We disclose that only considering the largest cluster suffices to obtain a first-order percolation transition. As opposed to previous realizations of explosive percolation our novel models obtain Gaussian cluster distributions and compact clusters as one would expect at first-order transitions....

We analyze the non-equilibrium relaxation properties of granular materials in the perspective of a cooperative length approach of Adam and Gibbs. The existence of complex geometrical interactions between the grains induces a rough landscape in the structure of the allowable phase space and in...

While new forms of attacks are developed every day to compromise essential infrastructures, service providers are also expected to develop strategies to mitigate the risk of extreme failures. In this context, tools of network science have been used to evaluate network robustness and propose...