Advanced Programming: Simulations

The Advanced Programming: Simulations course gives students the knowledge and skills necessary to develop models of real-world phenomena. Once developed, these simulations are used to provide insight into a range of topics such as epidemiology, sociology, mathematics, and physics. Topics may include pseudorandom number generation, Monte Carlo simulation, differential equations, Euler’s method, and Markov chains.

Students learn about the math behind the various methods of simulation and modeling. They also consider and discuss the ethics regarding simulation (for example, the assumptions made and their implementation, the justification for a given parameter’s value, and code optimization to minimize energy consumption). Students present their work on a selected simulation of their own design and implementation as part of their final assessment, including its methodology, results, and interpretations of those results.