Math 538 - Projects:

Depending on the class size, the projects will be tackled in teams. The plan is to choose teams of 2 or 3 students (depending on the class size) working in a common project. The list of possible projects will be updated regularly. Students must form teams and choose a project no later than 4 weeks before the project presentations (Wed, Dec 08). No more than one team per project: first come first served [available:, one person already signed in:, already taken:].

At the end of the semester (precise date to be announced) each team will present a 20-25 minutes slide or power point presentation that will be judged by the rest of the class, the instructor and other faculty members that will attend the presentations.

The project report should not exceed 20 pages (including all graphic material) and should include the following points:

1. Background material on the literature and significance of the project.
2. Development of the mathematical model or a survey of a collection of relevant models.
3. Discussion on the relevant mathematical theory that applies.
4. Some original work on your own for either extending the model and performing simulations.
5. Discussion and conclusions to summarize your work.
6. References.

Here is a list of the possible projects topics. More projects may be added during the semester. You might want to propose a project on your own, please consult with the instructor for suitability as soon as possible.

1. Lyapunov Exponents in chains of coupled maps.
2. Period doubling of the leaky tap.
3. Homoclininc/heteroclinic tangles.
4. Population dynamics model.
5. Fractal dimension, Lyapunov dimension.
6. Poincaré sections for the 3-body problem.
7. Program that takes an image and applies a transformation (cf. cat map).
8. ....