2024 Faculty Courses School of Environment and Society Undergraduate major in Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering
Modeling of Society and Ecology
- Academic unit or major
- Undergraduate major in Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Mayuko Nakamaru
- Class Format
- Lecture/Exercise (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 3-4 Fri
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- TSE.A345
- Number of credits
- 0.50.50
- Course offered
- 2024
- Offered quarter
- 4Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 14, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Students in this course will learn the agent-based simulations. Not only in natural sciences and engineering but also in social sciences and humanity, mathematical models have been made to describe the phenomena, and analyzed. While, if the phenomena cannot be presented by mathematical models, the agent-based models are made and analyzed instead, especially in social sciences and ecological sceicne.The models help us understand what our society is and the relationship between the population and community dynamics and the intra- and interspecies interaction.
The aim of this course is to simulate some famous mathematical and agent-based models on the computer and to learn human society and ecological science. Students will learn the programming skill for the models.
Course description and aims
Students will learn the following skills from taking this course:
(i) Be able to learm social phenomena and ecolocy by modelling
(ii) Be able to learn how to make models for society and ecology
(iii) Be able to obtain the programming skill
Keywords
agent-based simulation, mathematical model, programming
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Give a lecture and exercises are assigned to students if needed.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | "Introduction to Agent-based models of society and ecology Introduction to Python" | "learn what modeling is Learn the introduction level of Python" |
| Class 2 | Models in ecology I：the Lotka-Volterra model and its related works | Learn the Lotka-Volterra model and its related works as ecological models |
| Class 3 | Models in ecology II：spatial structure and ecology | Learn the spatial structure models in ecology |
| Class 4 | Models in society I：Granovetter's threshold model and so on | Learn the Granovetter's threshold model in society |
| Class 5 | Models in society II：Cultural evolution | Learn the models of cultural evolution in society |
| Class 6 | Models in society III：Social interaction among people | Learn the models about social interaction in society |
| Class 7 | Socio-ecology model: the tragedy of the commons | Learn the socio-ecology models |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
Not assigned.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Show references in the course
Evaluation methods and criteria
Report (100%)
Related courses
- TIM.A510 ： Social Simulation I
- TIM.A511 ： Social Simulation II
Prerequisites
No prerequisite.