51³ÉÈËÁÔÆæ

Course Description

Summary

In this course we will develop mathematical modeling skills that will help us better understand the complex systems that arise in different scientific fields. Applications will include population growth, predator-prey systems, planetary motion, reaction and diffusion, heat and fluid flow, and evolutionary trees. To model these systems, we will use difference equations, exponential and logarithmic functions, trigonometric functions, dimensional analysis, estimation of orders of magnitude, interpretation of graphs, and elementary probability. This course is not a repetition of high school mathematics; rather, it places high school mathematics in a larger context, and concentrates on the applications of mathematical thinking to the sciences. You do not need to know about logarithms or trig functions to take the course - we will develop these from the beginning but you should be comfortable with topics like elementary algebra and drawing simple graphs.