Elementary model reproducing q-Gaussian distribution

q-Gaussian distribution is rather interesting generalization of the well-known Gaussian distribution. This generalization arises from the generalized, non-extensive, statistical mechanics, which was proposed by C. Tsallis two decades ago. Despite the fact twenty years have passed there is no simple physical model reproducing the q-Gaussian distribution. But our colleague Julius Ruseckas recently proposed one [1]. In this text we will briefly discuss his "correlated spin" model and will present two related interactive applets.

N. Hanauer: Beware fellow plutocrats the pitchforks are coming

Ideas present in Thomas Pikkety's book "Capital in the Twenty-First Century" has shaken up the world this summer and now apparently the economic inequality is viewed as a serious problem. But until recently it was a problem interesting only to a few scientists and couple enlightened people. Nick Hanauer was one of the more well-known people who talked about this problem "before it was cool". We invite you to listen to his talk recorded for TED website.

Sierpinski triangle

Sierpinski triangle is a fractal named after Polish mathematician Waclaw Sierpinski, who was the first one to describe it in scientific literature (in 1915). The fractal itself is interesting in a sense that it is a two dimensional attractor to couple iterative operations related to triangles (primarily).

In this text we will discuss iterative removal of triangles, shrinking and duplication, chaos game. We will also briefly mention Lindenmayer system, cellular automata and Pascal's triangles.

B. Mandelbrot: Fractals and the art of roughness

B. Mandelbrot is probably one of the most well known mathematicians of the second half of the 20th century. As a scientist he was interested in the "strange" fractal geometry. In this TED talk he draws our attention to the naturally occurring complexity we observe everyday, but which is left unnoticed by our eyes. In this talk he briefly and in very simple terms explains the basic concepts of fractal geometry. We invite you to listen to this great man speak.