Course Title:
Mathematical Modeling and Simulation
Course Materials:
There is no required textbook for this course. All materials will be provided by the instructor (including lecture notes, short videos, software) or acquired via assigned reading.
See https://www.math.temple.edu/~seibold/teaching/2025_2121/
Course grading scheme:
Homework and in-class activities: 30%; course project: 45%; examination: 25%
Course prerequisites:
Programming: MATH1034/CIS1051/CIS1057/CIS1068 or equivalent. Mathematics: MATH1042 or equivalent. See Course Catalog for up-to-date prerequisites
Course goals:
By the end of the semester, students will be able to build models and simulations for complex emergent phenomena, and to systematically analyze and interpret the simulation results.
Topics covered:
This course introduces the concept of (a) building a mathematical model of a real-world process, (b) using computational resources to simulate the model, and (c) properly interpreting the results. The main focus lies on processes with many interacting agents, such as: traffic flow, spread of diseases, animal swarming, economic markets, social networks, robotics. The course provides an overview of model building concepts, training on the implementation of models in a computing environment, as well as theoretical background on how to analyze and understand large-scale emergent structures (such as traffic waves, stock market crashes, swarm intelligence, etc.). General interest in mathematical model building and in programming is required.
Attendance policy:
Students are expected to attend every class. If a student cannot attend a class for some justifiable reason, they are expected to contact the instructor before class. Students are expected to actively participate in the in-class activities and to be properly prepared to do so, including having completed any pre-class assignments and providing suitable hardware and software, as explained during the first class.
Technology Specifications for this Course:
Students much have a computer available in class, with the software Matlab installed, so that in-class exercises can be carried our. The homework problem sets also require the usage of Matlab. For the course projects, document creation software (Word, Latex, etc.) are presentation creation software (Powerpoint, etc.) is required.
Attendance and Your Health:
To achieve course learning goals, students must attend and participate in classes, according to the course requirements. However, if you have tested positive for or are experiencing symptoms of a contagious illness, you should not come to campus or attend in-person classes or activities. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor to create a plan for participation and engagement in the course as soon as you are able to do so, and to make a plan to complete all assignments in a timely fashion.
Expectations for Class Conduct :
It is important to foster a respectful and productive learning environment that includes all students in our diverse community of learners. Our differences, some of which are outlined in the University's nondiscrimination statement, will add richness to this learning experience. Therefore, all opinions and experiences, no matter how different or controversial they may be perceived, must be respected in the tolerant spirit of academic discourse. Students must also be open to engage in group exercises and in in-class discussions.
Disability Statement:
Any student who has a need for accommodations based on the impact of a documented disability or medical condition should contact Disability Resources and Services (DRS) in Howard Gittis Student Center South, Rm 420 (drs@temple.edu215-204-1280) to request accommodations and learn more about the resources available to them. If students have a DRS accommodation letter to share with the instructor, or you would like to discuss accommodations, please contact the instructor as soon as practical. The instructor will work with the students and with DRS to coordinate reasonable accommodations for all students with documented disabilities. All discussions related to your accommodations will be confidential.
Academic Freedom:
Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy # 03.70.02) which can be accessed here (opens in new tab/window).
Add/Drop Policy:
Students will be charged for a course unless dropped by the Drop/Add deadline date. Check the University calendar (opens in new tab/window) for exact dates.
During the Drop/Add period, students may drop a course with no record of the class appearing on their transcript. Students are not financially responsible for any courses dropped during this period. In the following weeks prior to or on the withdrawal date students may withdraw from a course with the grade of "W" appearing on their transcript. After the withdrawal date students may not withdraw from courses. Check the University Calendar (opens in new tab/window) for exact dates. See the full policy by clicking here (opens in new tab/window).
AI Policy:
The use of generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT, DALL-E, etc.) is not permitted in this class unless specifically announced for a particular assignment; therefore, any use of AI tools for work in this class may be considered a violation of Temple University's Academic Honesty policy and Student Conduct Code, since the work is not your own. The use of unauthorized AI tools will result in a grade of zero on the assignment; a second offense will be reported to the Student Conduct Board.
Incomplete Policy:
The grade "I" (an "incomplete") is only given if students cannot complete the course work due to circumstances beyond their control. It is necessary for the student to have completed the majority of the course work with a passing average and to sign an incomplete contract which clearly states what is left for the student to do and the deadline by which the work must be completed. The incomplete contract must also include a default grade that will be used in case the "I" grade is not resolved by the agreed deadline. See the full policy by clicking here (opens in new tab/window).
Student Support Services:
The following academic support services are available to students (all links open in a new tab/window):
The Math Consulting CentDisability Resources and Se
If you are experiencing food insecurity or financial struggles, Temple provides resources and support. Notably, the Temple University Cherry Pantry and the Temple University Emergency Student Aid Program are in operation as well as a variety of resources from the Division of Student Affairs.
Course Extra
Title
Attendance and Your Health
Description
To achieve course learning goals, students must attend and participate in classes, according to the course requirements. However, if you have tested positive for or are experiencing symptoms of a contagious illness, you should not come to campus or attend in-person classes or activities. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor to create a plan for participation and engagement in the course as soon as you are able to do so, and to make a plan to complete all assignments in a timely fashion.
Title
Expectations for Class Conduct
Description
It is important to foster a respectful and productive learning environment that includes all students in our diverse community of learners. Our differences, some of which are outlined in the University's nondiscrimination statement, will add richness to this learning experience. Therefore, all opinions and experiences, no matter how different or controversial they may be perceived, must be respected in the tolerant spirit of academic discourse. Students must also be open to engage in group exercises and in in-class discussions.
Title
Disability Statement
Description
Any student who has a need for accommodations based on the impact of a documented disability or medical condition should contact Disability Resources and Services (DRS) in Howard Gittis Student Center South, Rm 420 (drs@temple.edu215-204-1280) to request accommodations and learn more about the resources available to them. If students have a DRS accommodation letter to share with the instructor, or you would like to discuss accommodations, please contact the instructor as soon as practical. The instructor will work with the students and with DRS to coordinate reasonable accommodations for all students with documented disabilities. All discussions related to your accommodations will be confidential.
Description
Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy # 03.70.02) which can be accessed here (opens in new tab/window).
Description
Students will be charged for a course unless dropped by the Drop/Add deadline date. Check the University calendar (opens in new tab/window) for exact dates.
During the Drop/Add period, students may drop a course with no record of the class appearing on their transcript. Students are not financially responsible for any courses dropped during this period. In the following weeks prior to or on the withdrawal date students may withdraw from a course with the grade of "W" appearing on their transcript. After the withdrawal date students may not withdraw from courses. Check the University Calendar (opens in new tab/window) for exact dates. See the full policy by clicking here (opens in new tab/window).
Description
The use of generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT, DALL-E, etc.) is not permitted in this class unless specifically announced for a particular assignment; therefore, any use of AI tools for work in this class may be considered a violation of Temple University's Academic Honesty policy and Student Conduct Code, since the work is not your own. The use of unauthorized AI tools will result in a grade of zero on the assignment; a second offense will be reported to the Student Conduct Board.
Description
The grade "I" (an "incomplete") is only given if students cannot complete the course work due to circumstances beyond their control. It is necessary for the student to have completed the majority of the course work with a passing average and to sign an incomplete contract which clearly states what is left for the student to do and the deadline by which the work must be completed. The incomplete contract must also include a default grade that will be used in case the "I" grade is not resolved by the agreed deadline. See the full policy by clicking here (opens in new tab/window).
Title
Student Support Services
Description
The following academic support services are available to students (all links open in a new tab/window):
The Math Consulting CentDisability Resources and Se
If you are experiencing food insecurity or financial struggles, Temple provides resources and support. Notably, the Temple University Cherry Pantry and the Temple University Emergency Student Aid Program are in operation as well as a variety of resources from the Division of Student Affairs.
Course title
Mathematical Modeling and Simulation
Course materials
There is no required textbook for this course. All materials will be provided by the instructor (including lecture notes, short videos, software) or acquired via assigned reading.
See https://www.math.temple.edu/~seibold/teaching/2025_2121/
Course grading scheme
Homework and in-class activities: 30%; course project: 45%; examination: 25%
Course prerequisites
Programming: MATH1034/CIS1051/CIS1057/CIS1068 or equivalent. Mathematics: MATH1042 or equivalent. See Course Catalog for up-to-date prerequisites
Course goals
By the end of the semester, students will be able to build models and simulations for complex emergent phenomena, and to systematically analyze and interpret the simulation results.
Description of topics covered
This course introduces the concept of (a) building a mathematical model of a real-world process, (b) using computational resources to simulate the model, and (c) properly interpreting the results. The main focus lies on processes with many interacting agents, such as: traffic flow, spread of diseases, animal swarming, economic markets, social networks, robotics. The course provides an overview of model building concepts, training on the implementation of models in a computing environment, as well as theoretical background on how to analyze and understand large-scale emergent structures (such as traffic waves, stock market crashes, swarm intelligence, etc.). General interest in mathematical model building and in programming is required.
Attendance Policy
Students are expected to attend every class. If a student cannot attend a class for some justifiable reason, they are expected to contact the instructor before class. Students are expected to actively participate in the in-class activities and to be properly prepared to do so, including having completed any pre-class assignments and providing suitable hardware and software, as explained during the first class.
Technology Specifications for this Course
Students much have a computer available in class, with the software Matlab installed, so that in-class exercises can be carried our. The homework problem sets also require the usage of Matlab. For the course projects, document creation software (Word, Latex, etc.) are presentation creation software (Powerpoint, etc.) is required.