| AM107 | AM107
Term Project
Assigned: Thursday, October 26, 2000 |
| Timetable for the final project | |
| Project proposals due: | Tuesday, November 7, 2000 |
| Progress report/update Due: | Tuesday, November 21, 2000 |
| Forty minute presentations: | Thursday, November 30, 2000 |
| Final projects due: | Thursday, December 7, 2000 |
Guidelines:
Final projects should fit under the broad heading of "Quantitative Models in Biological Systems." They should exhibit the role of mathematical modeling and analysis in some area of biology or medicine. Projects may be of several possible types. Students with a strong biological background or who are presently involved in biological research may wish to emphasize modeling aspects in their work. Another kind of project might focus on analyzing models already in the literature, and comparison of various models of the same biological phenomenon. Yet another type of project could be a report on literature (from several sources; for example, Murray's Mathematical Biology) on a topic not covered in lectures. Projects of this third kind might appeal to more mathematically-inclined students, or to someone planning to enroll in a mathematically-oriented graduate program.
The ultimate goal of mathematical modeling is to gain insight. In some cases, an understanding of qualitative features of a biological system is desired. In other cases, quantitative studies are the objective. Except in the very simplest models where solutions can be found explicitly "by hand," computations are needed for this purpose.
Below is a list of some possible areas for project topics. One might also use the textbook as a starting point; the references and homework problems at the end of the chapters suggest many different topic areas. Additionally you can peruse previous projects (see http://www.cfm.brown.edu/people/mromeo/fall98/titles.html) or other undergraduate projects (like those at http://www.biom.cornell.edu/MTBI/archives.html).
This term project represents 40% of your final grade, and a corresponding effort is expected. There is no set format for the report. However, please use the same standard of clarity which you would follow in written reports to a supervisor at work or in a laboratory. For example, unexplained raw data or unlabelled graphs are to be avoided.
A few ideas for possible topics: