Tobias Galla
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tobiasgalla.bsky.social
Tobias Galla
@tobiasgalla.bsky.social
Theoretical physicist (statistical mechanics, complex systems), CSIC tenured scientist, IFISC Palma de Mallorca (@ifisc.uib-csic.es), reproductive success n=3

https://sites.google.com/view/tobiasgalla/
Numerical methods for quasi-stationary distributions arxiv.org/abs/2510.02891

(with Sara Oliver-Bonafoux, @javi-aguilar.bsky.social , Raúl Toral).

We discuss an iterative method to obtain QSDs of stochastic processes with absorbing states, and a Monte Carlo scheme with resetting. We ...
Numerical methods for quasi-stationary distributions
In stochastic processes with absorbing states, the quasi-stationary distribution provides valuable insights into the long-term behaviour prior to absorption. In this work, we revisit two well-establis...
arxiv.org
October 6, 2025 at 5:31 AM
Joke about efficient market hypothesis: "Eugene Fama and a friend are walking down a street, and see a $100 bill. Fama says: Must be fake, otherwise someone would have picked it up already."

(Seen in @doynefarmer.bsky.social's book "Making sense of chaos").
October 6, 2025 at 4:45 AM
Review "Opinion dynamics: Statistical physics and beyond"
arxiv.org/abs/2507.11521

Lab experiments, data, models, analytical/computational tools. 93 pages, >1k references.

With Fabian Baumann, David Garcia, Gerardo Iñiguez, Márton Karsai, Jan Lorenz, Katarzyna Sznajd-Weron. Led by Michele Starnini
Opinion dynamics: Statistical physics and beyond
Opinion dynamics, the study of how individual beliefs and collective public opinion evolve, is a fertile domain for applying statistical physics to complex social phenomena. Like physical systems, soc...
arxiv.org
July 16, 2025 at 5:57 AM
Efficient approximations of transcriptional bursting effects on the dynamics of a gene regulatory network

royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...

(with Jochen Kursawe, Antoine Moneyron)

Transcriptional bursting induces oscillations otherwise not present, or magnifies existing oscillations. >>>
June 25, 2025 at 8:39 AM
4 postdoc positions in complex systems at IFISC, Palma de Mallorca. Call open until 20/10/25, but positions will be filled starting immediately. If interested, please apply now. Candidates must be EU citizens.
📢 IFISC (UIB-CSIC) in Mallorca is offering up to 4 postdoctoral positions in complex systems science!
🔍 Topics: social systems, unconventional computing, life & environment.

📅 Deadline: 20/10/2025
🔗 Details: ifisc.uib-csic.es/en/about-ifi...
June 10, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Breaking co-existence: zealotry vs nonlinear social impact

(w Chris Kitching, Lucía Ramirez, @maxisanmiguel.bsky.social)

arxiv.org/abs/2505.21407

Zealotry breaks coexistence in voter models, partisan voter models, and evolutionary games. We show that sublinear social impact can prevent this.
Breaking co-existence: zealotry vs. nonlinear social impact
We study how zealotry and nonlinear social impact affect consensus formation in the nonlinear voter model, evolutionary games, and the partisan voter model. In all three models, consensus is an absorb...
arxiv.org
May 28, 2025 at 5:13 AM
"The small boys came early for the hanging", this is the opening line of @kenfollettauthor.bsky.social's Pillars of the Earth.

Does anyone have examples of exceptional opening lines of scientific papers (or any other memorable quotes)?

I give a few below. Other examples welcome.
March 13, 2025 at 6:39 AM
"Proliferating active disks with game dynamical interaction" (with A. Almodóvar, C. López)

arxiv.org/abs/2503.02555

Self-population enhances mixing in coexistence games, speeds up extinction in coordination games, and reduces the invasion probability of a beneficial mutant.
Proliferating active disks with game dynamical interaction
We study a system of self-propelled, proliferating finite-size disks with game-theoretical interactions, where growth rates depend on local population composition. We analyze how these interactions in...
arxiv.org
March 5, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Predictability of temporal network dynamics in normal ageing and brain pathology

(preprint with Lisa Caligiuri, Massimiliano Zanin, @wetuad.bsky.social, and others)

arxiv.org/abs/2502.16557
Predictability of temporal network dynamics in normal ageing and brain pathology
Spontaneous brain activity generically displays transient spatiotemporal coherent structures, which can selectively be affected in various neurological and psychiatric pathologies. Here we model the f...
arxiv.org
February 25, 2025 at 3:46 PM
A voter model with an evolving number of opinion states
(with Jeehye Choi, Byungjoon Min)

arxiv.org/abs/2502.14696

We study a VM in which new opinion states can emerge in the dynamics. Adapting methods previously used in theoretical evolutionary biology we compute >>
Analysis of a voter model with an evolving number of opinion states
In traditional voter models, opinion dynamics are driven by interactions between individuals, where an individual adopts the opinion of a randomly chosen neighbor. However, these models often fail to ...
arxiv.org
February 21, 2025 at 7:36 AM
The joys of science. (This is one single resubmission, not the 11th time that we resubmit this manuscript).
February 19, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Reposted by Tobias Galla
Do mathematical paradoxes, like the Monty Hall problem, blow your mind? Well, they're for beginners... Today I discovered there's a paradox, that you can recreate yourself anytime, way crazier. Welcome to the Coin Rotation Paradox 🤯
youtu.be/FUHkTs-Ipfg?...
via @veritasium.bsky.social
The SAT Question Everyone Got Wrong
YouTube video by Veritasium
youtu.be
January 19, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Reposted by Tobias Galla
🚨 Annual IMPRS Call for Doctoral Positions at MPI-EvolBio 🚨
🎓 Fully-funded 3.5-year doctoral projects available in diverse research areas!
#PhD #ResearchOpportunities #IMPRS #Science evolbio.mpg.de/3801127/annu...
January 10, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Asymptotic Extinction in Large Coordination Games

(with Desmond Chan, Bart De Keijzer, Stefanos Leonardos, Carmine Ventre)

arxiv.org/abs/2412.15461

We show that, for large random coordination games, Q-Learning converges to a Quantal Response Equilibria near the >>>
Asymptotic Extinction in Large Coordination Games
We study the exploration-exploitation trade-off for large multiplayer coordination games where players strategise via Q-Learning, a common learning framework in multi-agent reinforcement learning. Q-L...
arxiv.org
December 23, 2024 at 7:26 AM
Reposted by Tobias Galla
Physics stories ⚛️

Pauli lecturing

In one of his lectures, Pauli said of an assertion: "That's trivial". A student remarked: "I don't really understand why that's trivial." Pauli then left the lecture hall without saying a word. When he hadn't returned after five minutes,

1/2
December 11, 2024 at 3:51 PM
Reposted by Tobias Galla

🚀 Cross-disciplinary research is shaping the future! Discover how IFISC has become a global model, breaking silos and fostering innovation in complex systems.

🌐 Read more in @naturecomms.bsky.social: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

#ComplexSystems #ScienceInnovation #CrossDisciplinarity
A cross-disciplinary research framework at institution level and beyond - Nature Communications
Rethinking and restructuring cross-disciplinary research requires innovative models and the Institute for Cross-Disciplinary Physics and Complex Systems (IFISC) stands as a powerful example. Since its...
www.nature.com
December 3, 2024 at 10:23 AM
Characterising the dynamics of unlabelled temporal networks

(with Annalisa Caligiuri, @wetuad.bsky.social)

arxiv.org/abs/2412.14864

We use graph invariants to characterise time series of unlabelled networks, focusing on autocorrelation functions & sensitivity to initial conditions. >>>
Characterising the dynamics of unlabelled temporal networks
Networks model the architecture backbone of complex systems. The backbone itself can change over time leading to what is called `temporal networks'. Interpreting temporal networks as trajectories in g...
arxiv.org
December 20, 2024 at 5:26 AM