860-0022-00L  Complexity and Global Systems Science

SemesterAutumn Semester 2017
LecturersD. Helbing, K. K. Kleineberg
Periodicityyearly recurring course
Language of instructionEnglish
CommentPrerequisites: solid mathematical skills.

Particularly suitable for students of D-ITET, D-MAVT and ISTP



Courses

NumberTitleHoursLecturers
860-0022-00 VComplexity and Global Systems Science2 hrs
Mon17:15-19:00RZ F 21 »
D. Helbing, K. K. Kleineberg

Catalogue data

AbstractThis course discusses complex techno-socio-economic systems, their counter-intuitive behaviors, and how their theoretical understanding empowers us to solve some long-standing problems that are currently bothering the world.
ObjectiveParticipants 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 models for open problems, to analyze them, and to defend their results in response to critical questions. In essence, participants should improve their scientific skills and learn to think scientifically about complex dynamical systems.
ContentThis course starts with a discussion of the typical and often counter-intuitive features of complex dynamical systems such as self-organization, emergence, (sudden) phase transitions at "tipping points", multi-stability, systemic instability, deterministic chaos, and turbulence. It then discusses phenomena in networked systems such as feedback, side and cascade effects, and the problem of radical uncertainty. The course progresses by demonstrating the relevance of these properties for understanding societal and, at times, global-scale problems such as traffic jams, crowd disasters, breakdowns of cooperation, crime, conflict, social unrests, political revolutions, bubbles and crashes in financial markets, epidemic spreading, and/or "tragedies of the commons" such as environmental exploitation, overfishing, or climate change. Based on this understanding, the course points to possible ways of mitigating techno-socio-economic-environmental problems, and what data science may contribute to their solution.
Prerequisites / NoticeMathematical skills can be helpful

Performance assessment

Performance assessment information (valid until the course unit is held again)
Performance assessment as a semester course
ECTS credits3 credits
ExaminersD. Helbing, K. K. Kleineberg
Typeend-of-semester examination
Language of examinationEnglish
RepetitionThe performance assessment is only offered at the end after the course unit. Repetition only possible after re-enrolling.
Additional information on mode of examinationStudents are expected to actively contribute to the lectures if there are sufficiently few participants to , each one will have to give a 10 minute presentation
on a scientific paper selected together with the lecturer. These papers are typically about
mathematical derivations and models related to the lecture. The quality of the presentation
would be considered 50% in the final grading. In any case there is a 90 minute written exam, which typically takes 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

 
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LiteratureInformation
Only public learning materials are listed.

Groups

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Restrictions

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Offered in

ProgrammeSectionType
Doctoral Department of Humanities, Social and Political SciencesDoctoral and Post-Doctoral CoursesWInformation
GESS Science in PerspectiveSociologyWInformation
GESS Science in PerspectiveD-ITETWInformation
GESS Science in PerspectiveD-MAVTWInformation
Science, Technology, and Policy MasterElectivesWInformation
Public Policy BachelorAdditional Elective CoursesWInformation