Natural Science 0116 - Models for Life: An Introduction to Discrete Mathematical Modeling with Excel

In this course, students will engage with mathematical modeling in two important ways: by learning to use existing models as powerful problem-solving tools and by developing their skills in creating their own models. The kind of models we examine are known as discrete dynamical systems, which are just models that specify mathematically how a quantity changes from one time step to the next. We develop such models in a variety of important contexts including populations and sustainability, infectious diseases, blood alcohol concentration, and ranking systems for sports teams or web searches. We only introduce the mathematics necessary for answering important questions in each context, and we will use Microsoft Office Excel as our modeling software throughout the course. Some mathematical concepts we will cover include exponential growth, equilibrium values, and stability. No prior college-level mathematics or experience with Excel is assumed. Keywords:Modeling, equilibrium values, Excel, math

Environments and Change Students should expect to spend 8 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time. Books: Title: Models for Life: An Introduction to Discrete Mathematical Modeling with Microsoft Office Excel Author: Jeffrey T. Barton ISBN: 978-1-119-03976-1 Cost: $107.00