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Final project

Construct your own model

In this project you will use the tools you've learned in class and apply them to a model that you develop. The model can be about any phenomenon in ecology and evolution, as long as you make up the model.

You'll do the final project in two parts.

  • Part 1

    • Describe your biological question and why this interests you
    • Describe your model in words (ie, the main assumptions) and explain the main structure with a diagram (eg, flow or life cycle diagram)
    • Write down the equations that you will analyze
    • Describe what your analysis might reveal (ie, your hypothesis)
    • Max 500 words (not counting diagrams and equations)
    • Example

  • Part 2

    • Re-iterate your biological question and why this interests you
    • Describe your model assumptions in detail, defining all parameters and variables
    • Write down the equations for your model
    • Analyze your model
    • Explain how the results address your original question
    • Suggest how the model could be improved or extended
    • Max 2000 words (not counting diagrams, equations, and supplementary Jupyter notebooks)
    • Example

Tip

If you are having trouble coming up with a new model, take one of the models that we've analysed in the course and change one or more of its underlying assumptions to get a new set of equations. Then analyse these equations. Discuss the differences between the assumptions used and also between the results obtained.