Study Complexity through Multiple Disciplines
Some of our affiliated faculty are offering courses that address a variety of issues in complexity science. The following list of courses represents various schools and departments. For a complete listing of available courses, we encourage you to search ASU’s schedule via ASU Interactive or www.asu.edu/schedule.
All course decisions should be made with input from your faculty advisors.
Courses available Fall 2008
School of Computing and Informatics
CSE-561 - Modeling and Simulation Theory and Application
Instructor: Hessam S. Sarjoughian
Description: The course covers modeling and simulation concepts and discrete-event in particular. Application of theories, methods, and practices are covered during the semester. The course materials are divided into two parts. The first part provides background review and discussion on systems modeling concepts and overview of object-oriented programming languages. This first part contains comprehensive discussions on how to formulate and execute (simulate) models in a software engineering-like lifecycle. During this part, students are engaged in details study of modeling elements, simulation protocols, and their relationships including verification and validation. In-class description of modeling and simulation techniques will be illustrated by examples developed in the SESM/CM (Scaleable Entity Structure Modeler with Complexity Measures) modeling and DEVSJAVA simulation environments. During the semester students will gain hands-on experience (via homework assignments and projects). Students will create increasingly more complex models, which can be subsequently simulated and analyzed. The second part focuses on selected advanced topics aiding individual and team members’ projects. An important part of the course experience is through the class project. Each project involves demonstrating the application of course concepts, theory, and techniques (see Project section below) to student’s application of interest. Students may also choose to focus on M&S methodologies and theories.
Website: http://www.eas.asu.edu/~hsarjou/Courses/cse561s08.pdf.
School of Human Evolution and Social Change
ASB 368 / ASM 591 - Hunter-Gatherer Societies
Instructor: Kim Hill
Description: Studies known hunting and gathering societies with the goal of developing approaches to understanding past hunting and gathering societies.
ASM 591 / MAT 598: Agent-Based Modeling
Instructor: Marco Janssen
Description: Agent-based modeling is a method to study the macro-level consequences of micro-level interactions of agents in social phenomena like cooperation, diffusion, foraging and complex societies. In this course students will learn the basics of agent-based modeling and how this method is used to study social systems in ancient and modern times. Further attention is given how to test agent-based models and combine them with other (empirical) methods.
Website: http://www.public.asu.edu/~majansse/edu/abm08.htm
SSH 100 - Introduction to Global Health
Instructor: A. Magdalena Hurtado
Description: Introduces to students the empirical dimensions of the complexities of human-host pathogen co-evolution in present and past human environments, including complex molecular immunological and pathogen cell co-adaptations, and cultural/social/behavioral phenomena that either hinder or promote the transmission of pathogens. We would love to have students with an interest in complexity.
School of Life Sciences
BIO 591 / HPS 591 - History and Philosophy of Science Seminar
Instructors: Clark Miller & Andrew Hamilton
HSD 601 - Core Seminar in Human and Social Dimensions of Science and Technology I
Instructors: Clark Miller and Andrew Hamilton
HPS 591 / BIO 591 - History of Medicine
Instructors: Jane Maienschein and Manfred Laubichler
BIO/ASM 494 - Modeling Behavioral Evolution
Instructor: Stephen Pratt
Description: Lecture and computer lab course on modeling strategies and techniques in the study of behavioral evolution, with a particular emphasis on social behavior. Topics will include basic population genetic models, static optimization, game theory, kin selection theory, and dynamic programming. These approaches will be applied to problems in optimal foraging, sexual selection, sex ratio evolution, animal communication, and the evolution of cooperation and conflict within social groups. Students will learn to critically assess recent evolutionary theories of animal behavior, as well as to develop their own testable models or extend pre-existing models in novel directions. They will also learn to use Matlab software as a modeling tool in the accompanying computer lab.
School of Public Affairs
PAF 591 - Complexity in Public Policy and Management
Instructor: Yushim Kim
School of Social and Family Dynamics
SOC 598 - Social Network Analysis (Special Topics)
Instructor: David Schaefer
Description: This course introduces students to methods and software used for social network analysis (SNA). The course begins with the theoretical principles behind the choice of SNA as an analytic tool and methods of collecting network data. The majority of the course will then cover methods for analyzing 1) complete networks vs. samples from networks, 2) cross-sectional vs. longitudinal data, and 3) individual vs. network properties. The course will enable students to incorporate network-based theories and tools to examine questions about relationship or personal network characteristics, how position in a network affects individual-level outcomes, and how a network itself is structured (i.e., cliques, connectedness, hierarchy). Students will also gain experience with the most commonly used software for network data construction, analysis, and visualization. As a final project, students will be required to write a research paper in which they conduct a social network analysis using either data they have collected or secondary-data.
Department of Psychology
PSY 591 - Dynamical Systems
Instructor: Polemnia G. Amazeen
PSY 591 - DPAC: Dynamics of Perception, Action, and Cognition
Instructor: Polemnia G. Amazeen
Description: Casual seminar, open to faculty and students.
Courses Available Spring 2009
School of Human Evolution and Social Change
ASB 430 - Social Simulation
Instructor: Marco Janssen
Description: An introduction to the use of computer simulation to study social phenomena like diffusion of information and evolution of cooperation. Different techniques like system dynamics, cellular automata and agent-based models are discussed. Examples of applications in different social sciences are provided. Hands on exercises are given to learn to make simple simulation models. Website: http://www.public.asu.edu/~majansse/edu/socialsimulation09.htm
ESS 613 - Institutions, Society and the Environment
Instructors: Marco Janssen and Amber Wutich
Description: Institutions, rules that structure interactions between people, are studied by various disciplines including political science, economics, sociology and anthropology. The analysis of how institutions are formed, how they operate and change, and how they influence behavior in society is the focus of this course. We will discuss the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework and the application of game theory to study institutions. We will also cover experimental research and individual decision making. Students will learn to identify the diversity of institutions that we use to govern our lives, and to apply a number of analytical tools to understand the implications of different types of institutional arrangements, especially in the context of natural resource and environmental management.
Website: http://www.public.asu.edu/~majansse/edu/instsocenv09.htm
