Physics by the Lake will return to the University of Stirling in 2024, running from 5th-16th August. The programme of lecture courses is available. Registration will open soon.
2024 School open for applications
We are pleased to announce that the 2024 School is now open for applications via a link on the Apply page. Closing date is 21st June.
Applications for the 2023 school are now open
Applications are now open for the 2023 school, which will take place 14th-23rd August at the University of Stirling. Please visit the Apply page to make your application. The closing date for applications is June 28 2024.
Arriving at the 2022 school
The 2022 Physics by the Lake Summer School begins on Monday 1st August with dinner in the Stirling Court Hotel at 7pm, followed by a drinks reception.
You can check into your accommodation at Willow Court from 2pm. See the Location page for full details.
Arriving at the 2023 school
We look forward to welcoming participants on Monday 14th August for the 2023 iteration of Physics by the Lake. Please see the Location page for joining instructions and other information that may help you plan your stay.
Final call for applications
We are now approaching capacity for the 2024 School! To claim one of the remaining spaces, please contact sopa.events@ed.ac.uk.
Physics by the Lake 2020 postponed
We regret to inform that Physics by the Lake 2020, originally planned to take place in August, is postponed due to the uncertainty surrounding the COVID 19 outbreak. We will be in touch with everyone who paid a deposit regarding a refund, and will make a further announcement once the event is rescheduled.
Physics by the Lake 2022 will run
Physics by the Lake will run as an in-person summer school at the University of Stirling, Scotland, from August 1st to August 12th 2022. Applications will be taken from end of March.
Statistical Mechanics (STM)
Statistical Mechanics aims to provide a macroscopic description of a physical system starting from knowledge of its microscopic properties. The methodology and techniques are widely used throughout condensed matter physics and are also today being applied to understand the dynamics of model ecologies, economies and societies. In these lectures, we will revisit the equilibrium properties of matter – such as phase transitions and universality – from the perspective of dynamics (as opposed to statics, as is typically done in undergraduate courses). Then we will examine successively further-from-equilibrium systems, ending with a discussion of fluctuations in driven systems, a subject currently generating considerable excitement in this field.
Richard Blythe is a Professor of Complex Systems at the University of Edinburgh. Since his PhD days, he has been researching models and theories for nonequilibrium dynamical systems. Applications of these models include transport in biological systems, traffic flow, population dynamics and language change.
Statistical Mechanics (STM)
Statistical Mechanics aims to provide a macroscopic description of a physical system starting from knowledge of its microscopic properties. The methodology and techniques are widely used throughout condensed matter physics and are also today being applied to understand the dynamics of model ecologies, economies and societies. In these lectures, we will revisit the equilibrium properties of matter – such as phase transitions and universality – from the perspective of dynamics (as opposed to statics, as is typically done in undergraduate courses). Then we will examine successively further-from-equilibrium systems, ending with a discussion of fluctuations in driven systems, a subject currently generating considerable excitement in this field.
Richard Blythe is a Professor of Complex Systems at the University of Edinburgh. Since his PhD days, he has been researching models and theories for nonequilibrium dynamical systems. Applications of these models include transport in biological systems, traffic flow, population dynamics and language change.