Joshua E. S. Socolar, Associate Professor  

Joshua E. S. Socolar

Office Location: 096 Physics
Office Phone: 919-660-2557
Email Address: socolar@phy.duke.edu
Web Page: http://www.phy.duke.edu/~socolar

Specialties:
Nonlinear dynamics and complex systems
Theoretical condensed matter physics

Education:
PhD, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 1987
BA, Haverford College, Haverford, PA, 1980

Research Categories: Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics; Nonlinear Dynamics; Systems Biology

Research Description: Prof. Socolar is interested in the principles that determine collective behavior in condensed matter and dynamical systems. His current research interests include:

  • Organization and function of complex dynamical networks, especially genetic regulatory networks;.
  • The spatial distribution of stresses granular materials (e.g. bins of sand, coal, pills, or grain) and jamming phenomena;
  • Controlling chaos, or understanding feedback mechanisms that can stabilize otherwise unstable ordered behavior in chaotic dynamical systems;
  • Quasicrystals, packing problems, and tiling theory.

Areas of Interest:
Theoretical condensed matter physics
Nonlinear dynamics and control theory
Statistical mechanics in nonequilibrium systems
Complex Boolean networks
Genetic regulatory networks
Aperiodic Tilings

Teaching (Fall 2008):

  • Physics 143l.001, Optics & modern physics
    Physics 150, MWF 10:20 AM-11:10 AM
    Course web pages are available through Blackboard.
  • Physics 143l.01l, Optics & modern physics
    Physics 005, W 01:15 PM-03:15 PM
  • Physics 143l.02l, Optics & modern physics
    Physics 005, Th 03:30 PM-05:30 PM
  • Physics 143l.03l, Optics & modern physics
    Physics 005, F 01:30 PM-03:30 PM
  • Physics 143l.04l, Optics & modern physics
    Physics 005, W 06:00 PM-08:00 PM

Recent Publications   (More Publications)

  1. D.A. Orlando, C.Y. Lin, A. Bernard, J.Y. Wang, J.E.S. Socolar, E.S. Iversen, A.J. Hartemink, and S.B. Haase, Global control of cell-cycle transcription by coupled CDK and network oscillators, Nature (May 7, 2008) (Published online. doi:10.1038/nature06955.) [html] .
  2. A.S. Ribeiro, S.A. Kauffman, J. Lloyd-Price, B. Samuelsson, J.E.S. Socolar, Mutual information in random Boolean models of regulatory networks, Physical Review E, vol. 77 (2008), pp. 011901 [3642]  [abs].
  3. B.P. Tighe and J.E.S. Socolar, Nonlinear elastic stress response in granular packings, Physical Review E, vol. 77 (2008), pp. 031303 [GetabsServlet]  [abs].
  4. A. Shreim, P. Grassberger, W. Nadler, B. Samuelsson, J.E.S. Socolar, and M. Paczuski, Network Analysis of the State Space of Discrete Dynamical Systems, Physical Review Letters, vol. 98 (2007), pp. 198701 [e198701]  [abs].
  5. J. Norrell, B. Samuelsson, and J.E.S. Socolar, Attractors in continuous and Boolean networks, Physical Review E, vol. 76 (2007), pp. 046122 [e046122]  [abs].

Bio/Profile
For more information, see Prof. Socolar's Home Page.

Current Ph.D. Students  

  • Xianrui Cheng  
  • (Sam) Xinwei Gong  
  • Johannes Norrell  
Postdocs Mentored

  • Bjorn Samuelsson (November, 2005 - August 31, 2007)