Natural Science 0127 - Collapse Phenomena

What happened to the passenger pigeon, the dodo bird, and the wooly mammoth? Why did the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse? How can we explain the destruction of the World Trade Center? How did smallpox get eradicated? Why did the stock market crash in 2008? All of these are examples of full or partial collapses that could be explained by the following mathematical mechanisms: randomness, emergence, evolution, instability, nonlinearity, and networks. This course will explore the basics of these mathematical mechanisms in the context of collapses. Each student or group will spend the semester on a collapse event of their choosing and apply the previously listed mathematical mechanisms to explain the collapse phenomena. Students will also use the mathematics to predict future collapses. A mathematical background is not assumed and students from a range of disciplines are encouraged to enroll.

Physical and Biological Sciences Quantitative Skills In this course students are generally expected to spend at least six to eight hours a week of preparation and work outside of class time.