Synchrony, Whales, and Underground Fungi: Emergence from Local Rules

Abstract: Dynamical systems and network models are powerful because they reveal how seemingly disparate systems can be governed by shared underlying principles. I will share insights from three areas of my research, which span from the abstract to the deeply biological. First, we will see how higher-order interactions—involving more than just pairs—affect the synchronization of coupled oscillators, from linear stability to basins of attractions. Next, I will introduce Project CETI, a collaboration to understand sperm whale communication. We will discuss how social structure and home range shape their vocal communication. Finally, we will look at arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, which form vast underground networks in symbiosis with plants. Through a simple growth model, we will examine how species-specific strategies impact network structure and function. Across these systems, we will see how global patterns can emerge from local rules.