On February 12, 2026, the Department of Statistics & Data Science, in collaboration with the Department of Computer Science, will host a prestigious seminar featuring SUNY Distinguished Professor Hiroki Sayama. Scheduled for 3:00 PM in the Smart Room, this interdisciplinary session is a landmark event supported by the School of Sciences and the Office of International Affairs (OIA). Professor Sayama, a world-renowned expert from Binghamton University and Director of the Binghamton Center for Complex Systems (CoCo), brings an unparalleled level of expertise to the campus. His presence offers a unique opportunity for the academic community to engage with a scholar consistently ranked among the top 2% of researchers globally, bridging the gap between international research standards and local academic pursuits.
The seminar, titled "Introduction to Complex Systems: Modeling and Analysis," seeks to revolutionize the way faculty and students perceive interconnected systems. Moving away from traditional reductionist methods that analyze components in isolation, the session will delve into the science of relationships and system-wide dynamics. The curriculum covers the mathematical beauty of nonlinear dynamics and chaos—where small initial changes can lead to vastly different outcomes—as well as the fascinating phenomena of emergence and self-organization. Participants will explore how complex global patterns naturally arise from simple local interactions, a concept visualized through agent-based models and network dynamics.
The significance of this briefing extends far beyond theoretical mathematics; it addresses the growing demand for computational modeling in solving real-world challenges. Professor Sayama’s research in complex dynamical networks and social dynamics provides essential tools for those working in technology, sociology, and data science. By integrating physics and mathematics with modern computational power, the seminar provides a robust framework for understanding the "hidden" architecture of our world. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of the future of interdisciplinary research, equipped with the conceptual tools necessary to analyze the collective behaviors that define our modern technological and social landscapes.