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NECSI's Summer and Winter Schools offer two intensive week-long courses. The courses consist of lecture and supervised group projects. Though the second week builds on material covered in the previous week, CX201 is not a prerequisite for CX202. The student may register for either, or both weeks. The CX102 lab is strongly recommended to prepare students with little computer programming experience for the second course, CX202.

CX201: Complex Physical, Biological, and Social Systems

June 13-17

This course offers an introduction to the essential concepts of complex systems and related mathematical methods and simulation strategies with application to physical, biological and social systems. The course will particularly focus on the use of multiscale representations as a unifying approach to complex systems concepts, methods and applications.

Concepts to be discussed include: emergence, complexity, networks, self-organization, pattern formation, evolution, adaptation, fractals, chaos, cooperation, competition, attractors, interdependence, scaling, dynamic response, information, and function.

Methods to be discussed include: statistical methods, cellular automata, agent-based modeling, pattern recognition, system representation and informatics.

There will be supervised group projects as an integral part of the course.

CX102: Computer Programming and Complex Systems (Lab)

June 19

This course introduces computer programming in the Python language for those with little or no computer programming experience. It is designed as a precursor to CX202.

The course will present programming concepts and hands-on exercises. Topics to be covered include: data structures, algorithms, variables and assignments, numerical and logical operations, lists and dictionaries, user-defined functions, flow control, loops, and visualization.

CX202: Complex Systems Modeling and Networks

June 20-24

This course provides (a) an introduction to building models of complex systems (physical, biological, social and engineered), and (b) the study of networks, including topologies and dynamics of real world networks.

The course will cover the basic construction and analysis of models including identifying what is to be modeled, constructing a mathematical representation, analysis tools and implementing and simulating the model in a computer program. Particular attention will be paid to choosing the right level of detail for the model, testing its robustness, and discussing which questions a given model can or cannot answer.

The study of networks will introduce the use of network topologies and the characterization of networks describing complex systems, including such concepts as small worlds, degree distribution, diameter, clustering coefficient, modules, and motifs. Different types of network topologies and network behaviors that model aspects of real complex systems will be described including: modular, sparse, random, scale-free, influence, transport, transformation, and structure."

NOTE: Students without a background in programming are strongly recommended to attendCX102: Computer Programming and Complex Systems in conjunction with CX202.

Course registration fees are divided into Student, Academic and Corporate categories, and start at $700 (one student, one week-long course, with early registration rate). Early registration rates for the 2011 summer school are in effect until March 14th 2011.