Foundations of Complex Systems

Catalog description

This course covers the scientific foundations of the behavior of complex systems. The course is organized in a number of modules motivated by real-life examples of complex systems including aerospace systems, transportation systems, infrastructure systems, or biological systems among others. Each module will introduce, in the context of a specific problem, a number of concepts such as complexity, emergence, collective behavior, self-organization, evolution and adaptation, and pattern formation. Students will learn to use a variety of mathematical tools to analyze these systems, such as non-linear dynamics and controls, game theory, agent-based simulation, network theory, genetic algorithms, neural networks, and cellular automata. Students will be required to do a substantial amount of reading, and there will be roughly biweekly homework and a final project related to one or more of the topics covered.