Modeling Environmental Complexity
Introduction to mathematical and physical models of environmental processes. Emphasis on the development of macroscopic continuum or statistical descriptions of complex microscopic dynamics. Problems of interest include: random walks and statistical geometry of landscapes; percolation theory and transport in disordered media; fractals, scaling, and universality; ecological dynamics and the structure of ecosystems, food webs, and other natural networks; kinetics of biogeochemical cycles. Appropriate for advanced undergraduates. Beginning graduate students are encouraged to register for 12.586 . Students taking the graduate version complete different assignments.
Fall 2014
This course provides an introduction to the study of environmental phenomena that exhibit both organized structure and wide variability—i.e., complexity. Through focused study of a variety of physical, biological, and chemical problems in conjunction with theoretical models, we learn a series of lessons with wide applicability to understanding the structure and organization of the natural world. Students also learn how to construct minimal mathematical, physical, and computational models that provide informative answers to precise questions. This course is appropriate for advanced undergraduates. Beginning graduate students are encouraged to register for 12.586 (graduate version of 12.086). Students taking the graduate version complete different assignments.
Prerequisites & course information
Subject meets with 12.586 Prereq: 18.03 U (Spring) Not offered regularly; consult department 3-0-9 units
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026–2027
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Fall 2014
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.