This course gives you an introduction to modeling methods and simulation tools for a wide range of natural phenomena. The different methodologies that will be presented here can be applied to very wide range of topics such as fluid motion, stellar dynamics, population evolution, ... This course does not intend to go deeply into any numerical method or process and does not provide any recipe for the resolution of a particular problem. It is rather a basic guideline towards different methodologies that can be applied to solve any kind of problem and help you pick the one best suited for you.
Simulation and modeling of natural processes
University of GenevaAbout this Course
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Approx. 23 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: English
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Flexible deadlines
Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
Approx. 23 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: English
Offered by
University of Geneva
Founded in 1559, the University of Geneva (UNIGE) is one of Europe's leading universities. Devoted to research, education and dialogue, the UNIGE shares the international calling of its host city, Geneva, a centre of international and multicultural activities with a venerable cosmopolitan tradition.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
2 hours to complete
Introduction and general concepts
This module gives an overview of the course and presents the general ideas about modeling and simulation. An emphasis is given on ways to represent space and time from a conceptual point of view. An insight of modeling of complex systems is given with the simulation of the grothw and thrombosis of giant aneurysms. Finally, a first class of modeling approaches is presented: the Monte-Carlo methods.
2 hours to complete
7 videos (Total 85 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
7 videos
Modeling and Simulation13m
Modeling Space and Time15m
Example of bio-medical Modeling9m
Monte Carlo methods I9m
Monte Carlo methods II15m
Monte Carlo methods III10m
1 reading
Course slides10m
1 practice exercise
Introduction and general concepts30m
3 hours to complete
Introduction to programming with Python 3
This module intends to provide the most basic concepts of high performance computing used for modeling purposes. It also aims at teaching the basics of Python 3 which will be the programming language used for the quizzes in this course.
3 hours to complete
12 videos (Total 94 min), 2 readings, 3 quizzes
12 videos
Concepts of code optimization6m
Concepts of parallelism4m
Palabos, a parallel lattice Boltzmann solver5m
An introduction to Python 36m
Running a Python program6m
Variables and data types11m
Operators8m
Conditional Statements7m
Loops7m
Functions15m
NumPy11m
2 readings
Course slides10m
Dive into python 310m
3 practice exercises
Introduction to programming with Python 330m
Project - Piles30m
Project - Class:Integration30m
4 hours to complete
Dynamical systems and numerical integration
Dynamical systems modeling is the principal method developed to study time-space dependent problems. It aims at translating a natural phenomenon into a mathematical set of equations. Once this basic step is performed the principal obstacle is the actual resolution of the obtained mathematical problem. Usually these equations do not possess an analytical solution and advanced numerical methods must be applied to solve them. In this module you will learn the basics of how to write mathematical equations representing natural phenomena and then how to numerically solve them.
4 hours to complete
9 videos (Total 92 min), 3 readings, 3 quizzes
9 videos
The random walk14m
Growth of a population8m
Balance equations I8m
Balance equations II13m
Integration of ordinary differential equations7m
Error of the approximation8m
The implicit Euler scheme11m
Numerical integration of partial differential equations13m
3 readings
Course slides10m
References for numerical analysis10m
A reference for the random walk10m
3 practice exercises
Dynamical systems and numerical integration30m
The implicit Euler scheme30m
Project - Lotka-Volterra30m
3 hours to complete
Cellular Automata
This module defines the concept of cellular automata by outlining the basic building blocks of this method. Then an insight of how to apply this technique to natural phenomena is given. Finally the lattice gas automata, a subclass of models used for fluid flows, is presented.
3 hours to complete
7 videos (Total 108 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes
7 videos
Historical background9m
A mathematical abstraction of reality20m
Cellular Automata Models for Traffic13m
Complex systems20m
Lattice-gas models9m
Microdynamics of LGA17m
2 readings
Course slides10m
Notes on the Parity Rule10m
2 practice exercises
Cellular Automata30m
Project - The Parity Rule30m
Reviews
TOP REVIEWS FROM SIMULATION AND MODELING OF NATURAL PROCESSES
by OTJul 30, 2020
The course was really interesting and enlightening. The course gave me further understanding of important concepts I had been exposed to as well as new concepts.
by AAMar 11, 2018
The first 6 weeks of the course very well done. Unfortunately, the last two weeks were not of the same quality as the remaining parts of the course.
by RMApr 20, 2019
Week 5 and 6 where harder to follow and the projects where more complicated to understand (even though it shows that effort were put into them)
by GBSep 8, 2018
Very systematic and detailed introduction. Good way to start off into the science of simulation and modelling.
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