Applied & Computational Mathematics seminar: Swarming to Herding: Geometry of Collective Organization

Speaker:  Prof. Sayomi Kamimoto, Howard University

Title:  Swarming to Herding: Geometry of Collective Organization

Abstract:   Collective motion is often associated with swarming—disordered, flexible, and adaptive group behavior. In contrast, herding suggests structure, direction, and coordination. What mechanisms drive a system from one regime to the other?
Swarming to Herding: Geometry of Collective Organization explores how simple interaction rules can generate a progression of collective structures. Starting from a minimal driven system, I show how local, directed interactions produce a sequence of formations—from diffuse swarms to chains and ultimately coherent herds. No stochastic forcing or global coordination is imposed; structure emerges from the geometry of interaction alone.
The talk highlights how changes in interaction geometry reshape information flow across the group, leading to distinct collective regimes. Results suggest that organization in driven collectives can be understood as a geometric transition rather than a shift toward equilibrium, with implications for both biological systems and robotic coordination.

Time:  Friday, April 10, 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Place:  Exploratory Hall, room 4106