Collective phenomena in animal groupings

• Grant number: 24/00582-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: May 01, 2024
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: José Fernando Fontanari
• Grantee: Matheus Stefanini Mariano
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 25/03611-8 - Characterization and modeling of casual groups in urban systems, BE.EP.MS

Abstract

The apparently synchronized movements of flocks of birds, schools, and insect swarms are striking examples of collective behavior in nature that have been elucidated using the tools and concepts of statistical physics. However, the ebb and flow of individuals forming ephemeral groups of variable size (casual groups) can also be thought of as collective behavior, whose main characteristic is the distribution of group sizes. In this project, we will use models of agents moving in a two-dimensional arena and interacting with each other with attractive potential for long distances and repulsive potential for short distances. The goal is to study how the properties of the interaction potential between pairs of agents affect the distribution of group sizes and to compare it with the distributions observed in nature. In particular, we will use this agent model to describe the experimentally obtained spatial distribution of Drosophila flies.