SYDE 532 - Introduction to Complex Systems

The overwhelming majority of societal, ecological and climate issues of pressing importance are complex systems; nonlinear dynamic interacting systems poorly characterized by linear analyses and Gaussian statistics. This course introduces the mathematics needed to understand such interactions, including nonlinear dynamics, critical and bifurcation behaviours, large-scale systems and power-law distributions. The mathematical methods will be motivated by extensive examples and case studies such as global warming, energy shortages, desertification, overpopulation, poverty, and economic instability, to be investigated from a systems engineering perspective that will connect mathematical concepts to real-world examples.