Machine learning for active matter
Giovanni Volpe
Introductory Talk at CECAM Workshop “Active Matter and Artificial Intelligence”
CECAM-HQ-EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
30 September – 2 October, 2019
Data-driven machine-learning methods are more and more widely used in the natural sciences. Active-matter research is no exception and has recently started experiment- ing machine-learning approaches. Machine learning offers unprecedented opportunities, but it also poses unexpected practical and fundamental challenges. Most importantly, machine-learning methods often work as black boxes, and therefore it can be difficult to understand and interpret their results. Here, we present an overview of the current state of the art of the adoption of machine learning in active-matter research. Finally, we discuss the opportunities and challenges that are emerging, highlighting how active matter and machine learning can work together for mutual benefit.