I’m a theoretical physicist and a post-doctoral fellow at the Dutch Institute of Emergent Phenomena (DIEP) and the Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of Amsterdam.
I have a BSc degree in Physics and Astronomy and a MSc degree in Theoretical Physics from the University of Amsterdam. I have obtained my PhD (cum laude) at the University of Groningen with Prof. Dr. Eric Bergshoeff in 2014. I had postdoctoral positions at the Technical University of Vienna (2014-2017) and the Université Libre de Bruxelles (2017-2021).
My research interests span a wide range of topics in theoretical physics and complex systems theory. In the past, I have worked on three-dimensional models of massive gravity, asymptotic symmetries and the relationship between (quantum) gravity both in Anti de Sitter and flat spacetimes and conformal field theories. At the moment, my research interests are centered around the theme ‘quantum methods for complex systems’. I am applying numerical and mathematical techniques from quantum many-body physics and quantum field theory to out-of-equilibrium, dynamical models of complex systems.
I use tensor network representations to represent large-dimensional probability distributions accurately and efficiently. This we can used to study the large deviation statistics of epidemic models or the complexity of cellular automata. The mathematical description falls within the general framework of second quantized stochastic mechanics, which I have also employed to study the emergence of cooperation in evolutionary game theory. Currently, I’m also interested in applying field theory methods to neuronal interactions in the brain.
A central theme in my research and teaching is ‘emergence’, or: the spontaneous appearance of large-scale (macroscopic) phenomena in a system, independent from the properties and characteristics of the lower-level (microscopic) parts out of which the system is composed. At DIEP, I organize weekly seminars centered around the theme of emergence, with guest lectures from scientists across the spectrum of natural and social sciences. Self-organization, critical phenomena, phase transitions and universality are recurrent themes present in all of these sciences and extracting widely applicable mathematical rules and regularities behind these concepts fascinates me beyond bounds. Are there general laws behind the emergence of complex higher level functionalities? What versatile tools can we develop to study emergence and its many forms and facets?
Wout Merbis 