Open Calls for Papers
EPJ ST Collection: Mechanics of Biological Systems: From Classical Models to AI Innovations
- Details
- Published on 28 May 2026
Guest Editors: K.V. Nagaraja, Ganesh R. Naik, Sujesh Areekara
Biological systems operate across vast scales, from molecular signaling to whole-organ dynamics. Understanding these processes requires robust mathematical and physical frameworks. While classical mechanics has long provided the foundation for studying biological function, the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers unprecedented opportunities to tackle challenges that were previously computationally prohibitive. This Special Issue in The European Physical Journal Special Topics (EPJ ST) aims to showcase research that unifies classical mechanical principles with modern AI innovations. We invite contributions that demonstrate how hybrid physics-AI approaches, multiscale modeling, and advanced numerical simulations can be used to understand, design, and optimize biological systems.
EPJ ST Collection: Fractional Calculus and Time-Delayed Dynamics
- Details
- Published on 02 March 2026
Guest Editors: Mattia Coccolo, Miguel A. F. Sanjuán
The study of dynamical systems with memory has advanced rapidly in recent years, largely through two major frameworks: fractional calculus and time-delayed dynamics. Each has developed into a mature discipline with its own theories, methods, and applications, yet they have often evolved in parallel rather than in dialogue.
Fractional derivatives provide a natural framework for hereditary effects and anomalous transport through continuous memory kernels, while time delays capture explicit dependencies on past states arising from finite signal propagation or feedback. Despite their different mathematical formulations, both approaches aim to describe how the past influences the present. Striking parallels have begun to emerge: fractional operators can sometimes be interpreted as infinite-dimensional delay distributions, while time-delayed systems can reproduce long-memory effects in discrete form. This suggests a deeper, underexplored connection between the two perspectives.
