Course Outline

Date

Lecture

Sections

Topic (Chapters to read)

Assignment

Jan 17

1

Discrete Biological Models, Difference Equations (1.1)

See course website on Moodle and/or notes handout in class for homework assignments

Jan 19

2

Propagation of Annual Plants (1.2)

Jan 24

3

Systems of Linear Difference Equations (1.3)

Jan 26

4

The Golden Mean, Complex Eigenvalues (1.5-1.8)

Jan 31

5

Applications (1.9)

Feb 2

6

Modeling Workshop 1 – Difference equations

Feb 7

7

Nonlinear Difference Equations (2.1-2.3)

Feb 9

8

Graphical Methods (2.5-2.6)

Feb 14

9

Systems of Nonlinear Difference Equations (2.7-2.9)

Feb 16

10

Applications (2.10)

Workshop 1 Due

Feb 21

11

Exam #1 (Covered topics from Chapters 1 and 2)

Feb 23

12

Continuous Models (4.1)

Feb 28

13

Chemostats (4.2-4.4)

Mar 1

14

Dimensional Analysis (4.5)

Mar 6

15

Steady State Solutions (4.6)

Mar 8

16

Stability (4.7, 4.9, 4.10)

Mar 20

17

Geometry of First Order ODE (5.1)

Mar 22

18

Systems of 2 First Order ODE (5.2, 5.3)

Mar 27

19

Geometric Analysis (5.4)

Mar 29

20

Nullclines (5.5-5.6)

Apr 3

21

Phase Plane Diagrams (5.7-5.8)

Apr 5

22

Geometric Analysis of the Chemostat (5.9-5.10)

Apr 10

23

Exam #2 (Covered Topics from Chapters 4 and 5)

Apr 12

24

Single Species Populations (6.1)

Apr 17

25

Modeling workshop 2 –differential equations

Apr 19

26

Predator Prey Systems (6.2)

Apr 24

27

Populations in Competition (6.3)

Apr 26

28

Limit Cycles and Oscillations (8.1, 8.2)

Workshop 2 Due