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Course Syllabus

Modeling Environmental Complexity

This course provides an introduction to the study of environmental phenomena that exhibit both organized structure and wide variability—i.e., complexity. Emphasis is on the development of quantitative theoretical models, with special attention given to macroscopic continuum or statistical descriptions of microscopic dynamics. Concepts and problems include the microdynamics and macrodynamics of random walks and fluid flow; extreme deviations and anomalous diffusion; geological and ecological networks; percolation theory; dynamical origin of fractals and scale invariance; the origin and complex kinetics of biogeochemical cycles.

Institution
MIT
Author
Daniel Rothman
Topics
Statistical Physics, Complex Systems, Modeling, Mathematics, Networks, Fluid Dynamics, Climate Change, Ecology
URL
http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/earth-atmospheric-and-planetary-sciences/12-086-modeling-environmental-complexity-fall-2014/Syllabus/