851-0585-15L From Crowds to Crises
Semester | Autumn Semester 2012 |
Lecturers | D. Helbing |
Periodicity | yearly recurring course |
Language of instruction | English |
Courses
Number | Title | Hours | Lecturers | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
851-0585-15 V | From Crowds to Crises | 2 hrs |
| D. Helbing |
Catalogue data
Abstract | This course presents a problem analysis and mathematical models of subjects like - pedestrian, evacuation, and crowd dynamics (including "panic"); - disaster spreading and response management; - bubbles and crashes in financial markets; - bankruptcy cascades; - the outbreak and breakdown of cooperation; - the formation of social norms; - the occurence of conflict and societal instabilities. |
Objective | Participants should learn to get an overview of the state of the art in the field, to present it in a well understandable way to an interdisciplinary scientific audience, to develop novel mathematical models for open problems, to analyze them with computers, and to defend their results in response to critical questions. In essence, participants should improve their scientific skills and learn to work scientifically. |
Content | The course presents a problem analysis and mathematical models of subjects like - pedestrian, evacuation, and crowd dynamics (including "panic"); - disaster spreading and response management; - bubbles and crashes in financial markets; - bankruptcy cascades; - the outbreak and breakdown of cooperation; - the formation of social norms; - the occurence of conflict and societal instabilities; - integrated risk management. It builds on a broad scope of mathematical techniques such as (social) force models, network models, complexity theory, and evolutionary game theory, and elaborates the importance of self-organization phenomena, cascading effects, phase transitions, spatial and network interactions. Moreover, the course gives an idea of how systems as complex as society can be approached by mathematical models to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the spreading of information, cooperation, norms, conflicts, and disasters. The course also gives an idea of how important the character of interactions is for the resulting system behavior, with implications for mechanism design. |
Lecture notes | A script is currently not available. |
Literature | Literature will be provided in the webpage associated to this course and during the lectures. |
Prerequisites / Notice | The number of participants is limited due to the small size of the lecture hall. Solid mathematical skills are required. |
Performance assessment
Performance assessment information (valid until the course unit is held again) | |
Performance assessment as a semester course | |
ECTS credits | 3 credits |
Examiners | D. Helbing |
Type | end-of-semester examination |
Language of examination | English |
Repetition | The performance assessment is only offered at the end after the course unit. Repetition only possible after re-enrolling. |
Admission requirement | solid mathematical skills |
Additional information on mode of examination | Exam candidates are expected to actively contribute to the lectures. A 90 minute written exam will take place in the last lecture of the course. To pass the exam, at least 40% of the maximum number of points will have to be reached. |
Learning materials
No public learning materials available. | |
Only public learning materials are listed. |
Groups
No information on groups available. |
Restrictions
There are no additional restrictions for the registration. |