Handbook

Why are no two snowfakes alike? When will the next major stock market collapse occur? Which is the greatest sporting nation on earth? Addressing real world problems involves the steps of formulating a mathematical description of the problem, solving the mathematical model, interpreting the mathematical solution and critically evaluating the model. Motivated by real world problems, the course will survey mathematical techniques for: achieving the best possible outcomes, predicting future events and dealing with uncertainties. The course will provide introductions to popular mathematical resources for algebraic manipulation, numerical simulation and presentation. As part of the course requirements, students will be expected to work in groups on mathematical modelling projects and they will be expected to prepare a group report, both written and oral, describing the project. The course aims to equip students with the modelling skills and presentation skills for dealing with real world problems.