International Workshop

The Physics Approach To Risk:
Agent-Based Models and Networks

October 27-29, 2008, ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Aims and Scope

This workshop marks a transition between two COST actions, the previous COST-P10 "Physics of Risk" and the new COST-MP0801 "Physics of Competition, Cooperation and Conflicts".

Switzerland contributes to both of these actions with own research activities (see here for our COST-P10 projects), which allow us to host and also to finance this workshop.

The aim of the workshop is to join European "activists" of COST-P10, to discuss the scientific outcome of this action in a open-minded atmosphere, to think about the challenges of COST-MP0801, and to outline possible collaborations with Swiss colleagues. So, in addition to scientific presentations, there will be ample possibility for discussions.

The workshop itself, as the COST-P10 action, should cover contributions from the three working groups:

1. Physics of Risk
2. Agent-based Models
3. Networks

and should reveal potential impact on the new COST-MP0801 activities. Hence, in addition to the "classical" topics. such as Physics of Risk in finance, a broader perspective should allow us to link the issues of 'Agent-based Models' and 'Networks' to topics of relevance in the new COST-MP0801 action, such as 'Information and Knowledge', 'Game Theory', 'Evolution and Coevolution', 'Technology and Risk Management'.

Participation

Workshop participation is by invitation only. In order to ensure a working atmosphere, the number of participants is limited to 35 persons, both on the senior and the junior scientist level. They shall represent research activities related to COST-P10 and COST-MP0801 in Europe and in Switzerland, to allow a fruitful discussion about future collaborations.

Participants from Europe

• Castellano, Claudio (Roma, IT)
• Challet, Damien (Torino, IT)
• Deissenberg, Christophe (Aix-Marseille, FR)
• Diaz-Guilera, Albert (Barcelona, ES)
• Iori, Giulia (London, UK)
• Kaski, Kimmo (Espoo, FI)
• Marsili, Matteo (Trieste, IT)
• Mantenga, Rosario (Palermo, IT)
• Nowak, Andrzej (Warsaw, PL)
• Richmond, Peter (Dublin, IE)
• Sanchez, Anxo (Madrid, ES)
• Solomon, Sorin (Jerusalem, IL)
• Tadic, Bosiljka (Ljubljana, SI)
• Toth, Bence (Budapest, HU)
• Wittek, Rafael (Groningen, NL)

Participants from Swiss COST-P10

• Battiston, Stefano (ETH, Zurich)
• Breymann, Wolfgang (Zürcher Hochschule Winterthur, Winterthur)
• Droz, Michel (Université de Genève, Geneva)
• Laumanns, Marco (ETH, Zurich)
• Luethi, Hans-Jakob (ETH, Zurich)
• Lorenz, Jan (ETH, Zurich)
• Medo, Matus (Université de Fribourg, Fribourg)
• Schweitzer, Frank (ETH, Zurich)
• Tessone, Claudio J. (ETH, Zurich)
• Zhang, Yi-Chen (Université de Fribourg, Fribourg)
• Zhou, Tao (Université de Fribourg, Fribourg)

Participants from Switzerland

• De Los Rios, Paolo (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale, Lausanne)
• Giordano, Paolo (Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano)
• Harras, Georges (ETH, Zurich)
• Helbing, Dirk (ETH, Zurich)
• Herrmann, Hans (ETH, Zurich)
• Sornette, Didier (ETH, Zurich)
• Yukalov, Vyacheslav (ETH, Zurich)

Program

• Opening: Monday, 27 October 2008, at 9:00 (registration opens 8:30)
• Closing: Wednesday, 29 October 2009, after lunch.
• Talks: One keynote talk (45 minutes) each morning, and 22 presentations by participants (30 minutes)
• Round Table Discussion: Monday, 17:00. Topic: future collaborations
• Conference Dinner: Tuesday evening. Restaurant Uto Kulm on top of the Uetliberg (Zurich's local mountain) with a splendid panoramic view of Zurich, weather provided.
• Internal Project Meetings: Wednesday afternoon (14:00 - 17:00) is reserved for internal meetings of Swiss participants.
• Detailed schedule

Conference Site

The workshop will be held at the historical Semper Observatory (built by the famous architect Gottfried Semper). It is located right across the ETH main building, in the center of Zurich. Here you can find how to get there and a local map.

Topical Issue in European Physical Journal B

The European Physical Journal B (EPJ B) "Condensed Matter and Complex Systems" offers to publish a topical issue "Physics of Risk" with a selection of 10-20 papers related to COST-P10 actitivies (original research papers of high quality which will undergo a full review procedure). So, the workshop presents a good opportunity to discuss these papers before submission (deadline: November 15, 2008).

Participants are asked to indicate their interest in contributing to the topical issue by sending in a provisional title, list of co-authors, abstract if available.

Local Organization

Please contact Prof. Frank Schweitzer using fschweitzer(AT)ethz.ch