Ecological Modeling


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Ecological Modeling

Course Topics

Bibliography

Class Bibliography

Modeling Tools

This page is the general description of the course and suggested expectations for both the student and the expectations of the teacher.

Course Topics

Approach to Science

• Exploring how you conceptualize problems.
• Deterministic Modeling
• Formal theories of scientific thought.
• Induction.
• Falsificationism.
• Research Programs.
• Kuhn's Paradigms.
• Rationalism and relativism
• Objectivism
• Anarchistic Theory of Knowledge.
• Realism.
• Identifying the relationship of these theories to the students approach to science.
• Understanding the limitation imposed by our method of thought.

• Exploring types of models.
• Word Models.
• Physical Models.
• Picture Models.
• Flowcharts.
• Graphs.
• Mathematical Models.
• Computer Simulation Models.
• Exploring topics of interest to the class
• Common ways of describing these relationships.
• How to select a priori relationships.
• How to link these in a framework.
• Methods of parameterization of models.
• Theoretical.
• Statistical.
• Iterative.
• Method of "validating" models.
• Issues of presentation of results.

• Common functions used in modeling
• Linear and Polynomial Functions
• Each student will formulate and build a computer version of a model of a relationship of interest to the student.