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Lecture materials, readings, discussion topics, and other resources will be posted here
(click each week to expand for that week's materials)
Lecture materials, readings, discussion topics, and other resources will be posted here
(click each week to expand for that week's materials)
Note all topics are subject to change as we go!
Important dates
Quiz 1 - Friday, September 27 (during discussion session)
Quiz 2 - Friday, November 8 (during discussion session)
Essay due date - Friday, October 11 (update: you only need to submit an electronic copy on Gradescope)
Project presentation - Friday, December 6 (during discussion session)
Quiz 3 - Thursday, December 12 from 4 to 6 PM (Angell Hall C)
You can check the Google Calendar for this course using this link!
Module 1: Understanding the fundamental properties of complex systems
Module 1: Understanding the fundamental properties of complex systems
Most of this schedule is from last year and will be updated as we go! The portions in grey are from last year and have not yet been updated.
Most of this schedule is from last year and will be updated as we go! The portions in grey are from last year and have not yet been updated.
Week 1
Week 1
What is a Complex System?
What is a Complex System?
Emergence and self organization
the brain and consciousness • bird flocks and insect swarms • traffic jams
Emergence and self organization
the brain and consciousness • bird flocks and insect swarms • traffic jams
Lecture materials
Lecture materials
Lecture 1 slides - What Is a Complex System?
Lecture 2 slides - Emergence and Self-Organization
Traffic explorable: https://www.complexity-explorables.org/explorables/berlin-8-am/
Traffic simulation: https://traffic-simulation.de/
Pattern formation explorable: https://www.complexity-explorables.org/explorables/keith-harings-mexican-hat/
Discussion Materials
Discussion Materials
Homework (due Friday September 6)
Homework (due Friday September 6)
Readings
Readings
Chapter 1, Complexity: A Guided Tour, by Melanie Mitchell (available online through the UM Library)
Additional Readings and Resources
Additional Readings and Resources
Video on emergent collective behavior in animals
Science and Complexity, Warren Weaver, 1948 - introduces the ideas of organized and disorganized complexity
Complex Adaptive Systems, John H. Miller and Scott E. Page - Chapter 4, "On Emergence"
Week 2
Week 2
Randomness
the stock market • gambling • lava lamps
Randomness
the stock market • gambling • lava lamps
Lecture materials
Lecture materials
Lecture 3 - Randomness - Slides have been updated! (9/3/24)
Mind reader game (link seems to be broken, for now go here: https://marisae.github.io/MindReader/webVersion/ )
Code Examples
Discussion Materials
Discussion Materials
Homework (due Wednesday, September 11)
Homework (due Wednesday, September 11)
Readings
Readings
Randomness 101: LavaRand in Production
Additional Readings
Additional Readings
Chris Ferrie, Bayesian Probability for Babies (and here’s a reading of it on YouTube if that’s easier)
Week 3
Week 3
Modeling intro, nonlinearity, exponential growth
unknown knowns • population growth • epidemics • homeostasis
Modeling intro, nonlinearity, exponential growth
unknown knowns • population growth • epidemics • homeostasis
Power laws, heavy tailed distributions, black swan events
word frequency and Zipf’s Law • population sizes • neuronal avalanches • rich get richer • allometric scaling
Power laws, heavy tailed distributions, black swan events
word frequency and Zipf’s Law • population sizes • neuronal avalanches • rich get richer • allometric scaling
Modeling frameworks
drug pharmacokinetics • population models • species competition
Modeling frameworks
drug pharmacokinetics • population models • species competition
Lecture materials
Lecture materials
Lecture 4 - Intro to modeling - updated 9/12/24
Lecture 5 - Power Laws, Heavy Tails, and Black Swans - updated 9/12/24
Lecture 6 - Modeling Frameworks
Discussion Materials
Discussion Materials
Homework (due Friday, September 20)
Homework (due Friday, September 20)
Readings
Readings
Anderson, 1972. More is different.
Lazebnik, 2002. Can a biologist fix a radio?
Additional Readings
Additional Readings
Power laws, Pareto distributions and Zipf's law, Mark Newman
Rosenblueth and Wiener, 1945. The role of models in science.
Week 4
Week 4
Introduction to dynamical systems: equilibria, stability, and phase planes
ecological systems • predator-prey • epidemics • tensegrity • fireflies
Introduction to dynamical systems: equilibria, stability, and phase planes
ecological systems • predator-prey • epidemics • tensegrity • fireflies
Lichtman model of presidential elections: the Keys to the White House
Lichtman model of presidential elections: the Keys to the White House
Lecture materials
Lecture materials
Lecture 7 - Dynamical systems: equilibria, stability, phase planes
Lichtman model intro and essay overview
Kuramoto model of synchronization
Discussion Materials
Discussion Materials
Essay
Essay
Homework (due Monday, September 30)
Homework (due Monday, September 30)
Readings
Readings
Predicting the Next President: The Keys to the White House, Allan Lichtman, Chapters 1 and 2
Chapter 2, Complexity: A Guided Tour, by Melanie Mitchell (available online through the UM Library)
Additional Readings
Additional Readings
If you're interested in reading some of the critiques of Lichtman's model:
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/despite-keys-obama-is-no-lock/
Module 2: Methods for modeling complex systems
Module 2: Methods for modeling complex systems
Week 5
Week 5
Measures of complexity
genetics • computers • information • entropy
Measures of complexity
genetics • computers • information • entropy
Dynamical systems: tipping points, bifurcations, pattern formation
Dynamical systems: tipping points, bifurcations, pattern formation
R0/the basic reproduction number • cancer • climate change • vegetation patterns
Lecture materials
Lecture materials
Lecture 8 - Measures of Complexity
Lecture 9 Slides - Bifurcations and Tipping Points
Discussion Materials
Discussion Materials
Quiz #1 on Friday TBD in Discussion Section
Combinatorics & Probability Practice Problems
Homework (due Friday, October 4)
Homework (due Friday, October 4)
Readings
Readings
Rosenblueth and Wiener, 1945. The role of models in science.
Chapter 7, Complexity: A Guided Tour, by Melanie Mitchell (available online through the UM Library)
Additional Readings
Additional Readings
When genes became information, Matthew Cobb
Huddling emperor penguins undergo phase transition - research paper and media highlight
Week 6
Week 6
Agent-based modeling basics
Agent-based modeling basics
forest fires • voting • video games • epidemics • swarming • traffic flow
Cellular Automata
Cellular Automata
game of life • Wolfram's classification • patterns on lizard scales
Lecture materials
Lecture materials
Lecture 10 - Agent-Based Modeling
Lecture 11 - Cellular Automata
Discussion materials
Discussion materials
Homework (due Friday, October 18)
Homework (due Friday, October 18)
Readings
Readings
Lazebnik, 2002. Can a biologist fix a radio?
Modelling song popularity as a contagious process - research paper and media highlight
Week 7
Week 7
Networks and network metrics
human contact patterns • social media • airline networks • the internet • neuronal networks
Networks and network metrics
human contact patterns • social media • airline networks • the internet • neuronal networks
Lecture materials
Lecture materials
Discussion materials
Discussion materials
Homework (due Friday, Oct 18)
Homework (due Friday, Oct 18)
Readings
Readings
Aspirational pursuit of mates in online dating markets | Science Advances
Introduction Chapter, Networks: An Introduction, by Mark Newman (available online through the UM Library)
Week 8
Week 8
Network Simulation
Network Simulation
small worlds • friendship dynamics • social networks
Lecture materials
Lecture materials
Lecture 13 - Network Generation
Discussion materials
Discussion materials
Homework (due Friday, October 25)
Homework (due Friday, October 25)
Readings
Readings
Aspirational pursuit of mates in online dating markets | Science Advances
Introduction Chapter, Networks: An Introduction, by Mark Newman (available online through the UM Library)
Chapter 15, The Science of Networks, Complexity: A Guided Tour, by Melanie Mitchell (available online through the UM Library)
Week 9
Week 9
Chaos and fractals
Chaos and fractals
weather dynamics • Romanesco broccoli • magnet pendulum • logistic map
Lecture materials
Lecture materials
Lecture 14 - Chaos and Fractals
Discussion materials
Discussion materials
Homework (due Monday, November 4)
Homework (due Monday, November 4)
Readings
Readings
What is chaos? A complex systems scientist explains, Mitchell Newberry
The Joy of X Podcast: Amie Wilkinson Sees the Dynamic Chaos in Puff Pastry
Additional materials
Additional materials
"Fractals Are Typically Not Self-Similar" by 3Blue1Brown (YouTube video)
Bach and Cantor: Fractal Structure in the Cello Suite No. 3
Mathematics of scale: Big, small and everything in between, Mitchell Newberry
Week 10
Week 10
Linking Models and Data
Linking Models and Data
Lecture materials
Lecture materials
Lecture 15 - Linking Models and Data
Discussion materials
Discussion materials
Homework (due Monday, November 11)
Homework (due Monday, November 11)
Readings
Readings
Additional materials
Additional materials
Module 3: Complex systems modeling in practice
Module 3: Complex systems modeling in practice
Week 11
Week 11
Machine learning, AI, and Chat GPT
Machine learning, AI, and Chat GPT
Lecture Materials
Lecture Materials
Lecture 16 - Machine learning and artificial intelligence
Discussion Materials
Discussion Materials
Quiz #2 on Friday in Discussion Section
Additional Readings
Additional Readings
The debate over understanding in AI’s large language models - Mitchell and Krakauer, 2023
Week 12
Week 12
Evolution and adaptation
Evolution and adaptation
Information and misinformation spread
Information and misinformation spread
Lecture Materials
Lecture Materials
Lecture 17 - Evolution & Adaptation
Lecture 18: Information and misinformation spread
Discussion Section
Discussion Section
Additional Readings
Additional Readings
Chapter 8, Self-Reproducing Computer Programs, Complexity: A Guided Tour, by Melanie Mitchell (available online through the UM Library)
Week 13
Week 13
Information and misinformation spread continued (possibly)
Information and misinformation spread continued (possibly)
Banks and financial crashes
Banks and financial crashes
Neuroscience
Neuroscience
coupled oscillators • emergent behavior and the brain • neurons as toilets!
Lecture Materials
Lecture Materials
Lecture 18: Information and misinformation spread ctd
Neuroscience
Discussion Section
Discussion Section
Homework (due Monday, November 25)
Homework (due Monday, November 25)
Additional Readings
Additional Readings
Chapter 8, Self-Reproducing Computer Programs, Complexity: A Guided Tour, by Melanie Mitchell (available online through the UM Library)
Week 14
Week 14
(Includes Thanksgiving break)
Board games and video games as complex systems
Board games and video games as complex systems
Lecture Materials
Lecture Materials
Lecture 20 - Board games & video games
Discussion Section
Discussion Section
None due to Thanksgiving break!
Homework (due Thursday, December 5)
Homework (due Thursday, December 5)
Homework 11/Final project slides
Week 15
Week 15
Cooperation, decisions, game-theory
Cooperation, decisions, game-theory
Pattern formation
Pattern formation
Lecture Materials
Lecture Materials
Lecture 21 - Cooperation and Game Theory
Lecture 22 - Pattern formation
Homework (due Thursday, December 5)
Homework (due Thursday, December 5)
If there's time
If there's time
The COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic
Rankings and networks
Rankings and networks
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