REU Site: Computational and Mathematical Modeling of Complex Systems

Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe NM

Investigators

Abstract

The ability to mathematically model complex systems has become a prerequisite to successful science in any field. Writing a simulation is not enough; career scientists today should be able to analyze results, recognize statistical regularities, formulate conjectures, and pursue possible proofs about why these conjectures are true. The goal of this REU site is to enhance students' understanding and use of computational and mathematical modeling within their respective disciplines, and to create a new generation of mathematically and computationally sophisticated researchers. The program is designed for students from computer science, pure and applied mathematics, physics, chemistry, quantitative biology, and social science. The proposed project provides an educational and research experience for 10 undergraduates each summer at the Santa Fe Institute (SFI), an independent, nonprofit multidisciplinary research institute dedicated to the study of complex adaptive systems, including physical, computational, biological, and social systems. SFI's REU site explores how a tier-one research institution successfully bridges the divide to under-represented minorities (URM) and to undergraduates at institutions with limited research opportunities; the aim is to provide participants with an authentic research experience in the emerging field of complex systems. The program aims for highly talented participants who attend an institution with limited research opportunities.