Course description

Natural processes are inherently complex, but simple dynamic models are often useful for understanding and predicting biological patterns and processes. In this course, students will learn how to build simple dynamic models of biological processes, and how to analyse them to achieve biological insights. We will focus on deterministic and stochastic models in ecology, evolution, and genetics with fundamental mathematics. The first part of this course will cover deterministic models including ordinary differential equations and difference equations, and the second part of this course will focus on stochastic models such as Markov chains and birth-death processes. Students will learn the power and limitations of such simple mathematical approaches to derive general insights, in comparison to complex computer-based methods This courses is restricted to students enrolled in the Master of Quantitative Biology programs.

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