Patterns, Universality and Computational Algorithms

Nigel Goldenfeld

Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Can we use computational algorithms to make accurate predictions of physical phenomena? In this talk, intended for non-experts, I will give examples where complicated space-time phenomena can be exquisitely captured with simple computational algorithms, which not only produce patterns resembling those seen in experiment, but also make accurate predictions about probes of dynamics and spatial organization, such as correlation functions. I use examples from condensed matter physics, as well as from geophysics.