Sivilingeniřr, Univ.
Ph.D.,
Norwegian Science Foundation Fellow,
NORDITA Fellow, Göteborg (67-69)
Post Doctoral Fellow, McMaster (69-72)
My research
aims to clarify basic questions in statistical mechanics by studying simple
model systems, which are realistic enough that essential features can be
brought to light. The current focus of my studies is steady state
non-equilibrium phenomena. Computer simulations combined with analytical
methods such as renormalization group and mean field theories are my main
tools, and all of my current research projects involve interdisciplinary
studies. Current projects also involves a critique of some standard economics models
based a faulty understanding of
thermodynamics and statistical mechanics.
Work in progress
Birger Bergersen: Statistical mechanics of
risk, utility and equilibrium; Analogies between economics and statistical
physics.
Mushrooms of southwestern BC captions for vmstable in .docx
and .pdf format : vmstable.xlsx, vmstable.pdf
Recent Theses supervised
Greg
Lakatos, Transport
and structure in nanoscale systems, Ph.D. Thesis
2006 (co-supervisor Gren Patey,
Chemistry).
Mya Warren, Electronic
and Structural effects on the electrochemistry of polypyrrol,
MSc thesis 2005
(main supervisor John Madden, Electrical and Computer Engineering). PDF version.
Margarit Ifti, Scaling
survival and extinction in many species system, Ph.D
thesis UBC 2003. PDF
version, Postscript
version.
Michael D. Mitton, Agent inactivity in the evolutionary minority
game, Masters thesis UBC, 2001
Timothy L. Duty, Spontaneous
symmetry breaking and critical phenomena in the stepping stone model of
population genetics, Ph. D thesis UBC 2000. PDF version.
Hendrik J. Blok. , On the nature of the
stock market: simulations and experiment, Ph.D. thesis UBC, 2000. cond-mat/0010211
Daniel Groleau,
Study of the scaling and temporal properties of a simplified earthquake
model, Ph.D. thesis UBC 1997.
Selected Publications:
“Statistical mechanics
of utility and equilibrium: Analogies between economics and statistical physics”
Physics in Canada 65 #4 205 (2009).
"Equilibrium
Statistical Physics" 3rd Ed. World
Scientific xivi+620 pp, (2006).
M. Plischke and B. Bergersen
“First passage times of driven DNA hairpin unzipping , Greg Lakatos, Tom
Chou, Birger Bergersen, Gren. N. Patey. Phys. Biol., 2, 166
(2005) .
“Crossover
behaviour of 3-species systems with mutations”,
Margarita Ifti, Birger Bergersen, nlin.AO/0307006,
European Physicsl Journal B37 101-7 (2004).
“ Survival and
Extinction in Cyclic and Neutral Three--species Systems”, Margarita Ifti, Birger Bergersen,
European Physical Journal E10 (3), 241 (2003). nlin.AO/0208023
“Synchronous vs. asynchronous updating in the game of life”,
H. J. Blok and B. Bergersen, Phys. Rev. E59
3876 (1999)
“Bacterial swimming strategies and turbulence”, R. Luchsinger, B. Bergersen and J.
Mitchell: Biophysics Journal 77, 2377 (1999).
“The effect of boundary
conditions on scaling in the game of life”, H. J. Blok, B. Bergersen, Phys. Rev. E55 624 (1997).
“Scaling properties of a
model for ruptures in an elastic medium”, D. Groleau,
B.Bergersen and H. -J Xu.
J.Phys. A: Math Gen. 30 3407
(1997).
"Correlations in Ising chains with non-integrable
interactions”, B. Bergersen, Z. Racz and H.-J. Xu, Phys. Rev. E52,
6031 (1995).
"Equilibrium
configurations of particles on a sphere: the case of logarithmic interactions",
J. Phys. A. Math. Gen 27 2579 (1994), B. Bergersen,
D. Boal and P. Palffy-Muhoray.
"A plaquet representation of ruptures and models for
earthquakes ", J de Physique I
H-J. Xu, B. Bergersen and
K. Chen.
"Long range
interactions generated by random Levy flights: spin flip and spin exchange
kinetic Ising model in two dimensions",
Phys. Rev. E47 1520 (1993).H.-J Xu, B. Bergersen and Z. Racz.
"Self-organized
Ruptures in an Elastic Medium: A Possible Model for Earthquakes", J.
Phys. A:Math. Gen. 25, L1251 (1992), H. Xu, B., Bergersen and K. Chen.
"Filaments in
Liquid Crystals: Structures and Dynamics", in "Complex Dissipative
Systems" ed. S. Kai World Scientific Singapore (1992), P. Pallfy-Muhoray, B. Bergersen, H.
Lin, R.B. Meyer and Z. Racz.
"
"Dynamical
Interaction of
"Ordering of Ising Dipoles", H-J Xu,
B. Bergersen, F.Niedermayer
and Z. Racz, J. Phys. Condensed Matter 3,
499-512 (1991)..
"Random Bonds and
Random Fields in Two Dimensional Orientational
Glasses”, P.C.W. Holdsworth, M.J.P. Gingras, B.Bergersen and E. Chan,
", J. Phys. C. Condensed Matter 3, 6679 (1991
"Non separable
anisotropic pair potentials: two dimensional liquid crystals and orientational glass" , in "Disorder in
condensed matter physics", ed. J.A. Blackman and J Taguena,
Oxford Science Publications 422 (1991). P.C.W. Holdsworth,
M.J.P. Gingras and B. Bergersen.
birger@physics.ubc.ca , Birger Bergersen home page