Cris Moore, who just gave a brilliant course on theoretical computer
science last semester at UNM, is offering another winner which looks
at the computer science behind complex systems.
If you'd like a taste of his rather unique approach to computer
science, you can look at his forthcoming book, the Nature of
Computation:
http://www.nature-of-computation.org/
At this point, it will not be available on video, so would require a
commute. But its possible if there is interest, we might change that.
-- Owen
Begin forwarded message:
From: Cris Moore <[email protected]>
Date: May 3, 2010 11:55:09 AM MDT
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Cs500] Physics and Computation
Invitation to register for
Physics and Computation, CS473/573
T/Th 2:00-3:15, Fall 2010
First of all: physics is NOT a prerequisite for this class!
Second of all: this is open to both graduate students (in Computer
Science, Physics, Math, Biology, and other fields) and
undergraduates who are interested in pursuing a research career.
This is really a complex systems class with a physics tinge. The
goal is to explain experimental and analytical techniques which help
us explore the properties of mathematical models of physical and
social systems. Homeworks will include some simple experimental
projects along with mathematical work. All projects and homeworks
are collaborative, i.e., working with other students is encouraged.
Topics include:
Random graphs, branching processes, and the emergence of the giant
component
The Ising model of magnetism, percolation, and scale-freeness
Preferential attachment and power-law degree distributions on the Web
Monte Carlo algorithms, Markov chains, and mixing times
Sandpiles, forest fires, and self-organized criticality
Phase transitions in NP-complete problems and the probabilistic method
Mathematical prerequisites: some linear algebra (you should know
what eigenvalues and eigenvectors are) and some calculus (you should
know what a Taylor series is).
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]
or [email protected].
- Cris Moore
Cristopher Moore
Professor, Computer Science / Physics and Astronomy
University of New Mexico
and the Santa Fe Institute
[email protected]
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