Open Quantum Systems in Biology, Cognitive and Social Sciences (eBook)

This book mathematically analyzes the basic problems of biology, decision making and psychology within the framework of the theory of open quantum systems.

In recent years there has been an explosion of interest in applications of quantum theory in fields beyond physics. The main areas include psychology, decision-making, economics, finance, social science as well as genetics and molecular biology. The corresponding models are referred to as quantum-like; they don't concern any genuine physical processes in the human brain.

Quantum-like models reflect the special features of information processing in biological, cognitive, and social systems which match well with the quantum formalism. This formalism gives rise to the quantum probability model (QP) which differs essentially from Kolmogorov's classical probability model. QP also serves as the basis for quantum information theory.

Recently QP has been widely applied to the resolution of the basic paradoxes of decision making theory and to modeling experimental data stemming from cognition, psychology, economics, and finance thereby shedding light on probability fallacies and irrational behavior.

In this book, the theory of quantum instruments and the quantum master equation are applied to the modeling of biological and cognitive processes, in particular, to the stability of complex biological and social systems interacting with their environment. An essential part of the book is devoted to the theory of the social laser and the Fröhlich condensate. 

Andrei Khrennikov was born in 1958 in Volgorad and spent his childhood in town Bratsk, in Siberia, north from the lake Baikal. In the period 1975-1980 he studied at Moscow State University, department of Mechanics and Mathematics and then in 1983 obtained his PhD in mathematical physics. Since 1997 he has been professor at Linnaueus University, Sweden, and, since 2002, the director of the multidisciplinary research center, International Center for Mathematical Modeling in Physics, Engineering, Economics, and Cognitive Science. The research interests of Prof Khrennikov are also characterized by multi-disciplinarity, and include, among others foundations of quantum physics and quantum information, foundations of probability, cognitive modeling, ultrametric (non-Archimedean) mathematics, dynamical systems, quantum-like models in psychology, economics and finances, social and political sciences. He is the author of about 400 papers and 20 monographs. Andrei Khrennikov is the organizer of the internationally well-known series of annual conferences (held in Växjö since 2000) on the foundations of quantum physics, information, and probability.