Head of Complexity Science research group

Karoline Wiesner, PhD

Professor of Complexity Science

Institute of Physics and Astronomy, University of Potsdam, Germany
External faculty at the Complexity Science Hub Vienna.
Affiliated member of the Centre for Science and Philosophy at Bristol University.
Winter Term 2025
Coffee morning: Fridays 9.45
Discussion meeting or seminar: Fridays 10.15 (discussions in 2.28.1.084, seminars in 2.28.0.108)
visitors welcome
Our current research topics are:
  • information theory for complex systems
  • dynamics of democracy
  • neural networks as complex systems

Author of "What is a complex system",
Yale University Press (2020).

In this book, we develop a taxonomy of complex systems. We discuss examples ranging from physics to biology to social science. The book is for students, academics, and general readers.
News
January '25 – Dr. Björn Ladewig joins the team
December '24 – Dr. Vaishnavi Jayakumar joins the team
November '24 – new results on dynamics of democracy published on arXiv
October '24 - Royal Society Open Science publication on principal components of electoral regimes is out
September '24 - we give invited and contributed talks at the Conference on Complex Systems in Exeter
March '24 - Focus session 'Statistical Physics of Political Systems' @ DPG Spring Meeting, Berlin details
October '23 - New MSc course 'Machine Learning for Physicists'
August '23 - Talha Ersoy starts as new PhD student. Welcome, Talha!
​July '23 - Paula Parker Diaz starts as new PhD student. Welcome, Paula!
31 May '23 – Antrittsvorlesung 17:30 details
May '23 – I received the 2023 Award for Excellence in Teaching in the Faculty of Science 
May '23 – Podcast 'Simplifying Complexity' – 2nd episode on our book 'What is a complex system' live now
April '23 – Course 'Complexity Science' starts 17 April details
Mar '23 – Our paper 'The hidden dimension in democracy' is now available as V-Dem working paper [pdf]
Dec '22 – Podcast 'Simplifying Complexity' – episode on our book 'What is a complex system' live now
Oct '22 – Amsterdam Winter Workshop on Complex Systems 2023 – Applications now open
​Oct '22 – Open positions: PhD and Postdoc (now filled)
Sep '22 – Our paper 'Clarifying How Degree Entropies and Degree-Degree Correlations Relate to Network Robustness' on Cover of Entropy
​Sep '22 – Book presentation & Workshop at Amsterdam Institute for Advanced studies 
Mai '22 – Vortrag am Einstein Forum Potsdam 'Von Atomen, Ameisen und Aktien. Die Wissenschaft komplexer Systeme' (video)
​Jan '22 – Our paper 'Stability of democracies: a complex systems perspective' 2nd most read article in European Journal of Physics Apr '21 – I am taking up the Chair in Complexity Science at Potsdam University (33 Questions interview by UP Magazine)
​Dec '20 – Our book reviewed in Nature 
Nov '20 – Our report for Green Climate Fund is now available online.