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This is our collection of tasks on the mathematical theme of 'Population Dynamics' for advanced students and those interested in mathematical modelling.
Which line graph, equations and physical processes go together?
Why MUST these statistical statements probably be at least a little bit wrong?
Here are several equations from real life. Can you work out which measurements are possible from each equation?
Many physical constants are only known to a certain accuracy. Explore the numerical error bounds in the mass of water and its constituents.
The probability that a passenger books a flight and does not turn up is 0.05. For an aeroplane with 400 seats how many tickets can be sold so that only 1% of flights are over-booked?
Invent scenarios which would give rise to these probability density functions.
Work with numbers big and small to estimate and calculate various quantities in physical contexts.
Can you suggest a curve to fit some experimental data? Can you work out where the data might have come from?
Are these statistical statements sometimes, always or never true? Or it is impossible to say?
Look at the advanced way of viewing sin and cos through their power series.
Get further into power series using the fascinating Bessel's equation.
Match the charts of these functions to the charts of their integrals.
Work out the numerical values for these physical quantities.
By exploring the concept of scale invariance, find the probability that a random piece of real data begins with a 1.
Get some practice using big and small numbers in chemistry.
See how enormously large quantities can cancel out to give a good approximation to the factorial function.
How much energy has gone into warming the planet?
Build up the concept of the Taylor series
Match the descriptions of physical processes to these differential equations.
Work with numbers big and small to estimate and calculate various quantities in biological contexts.
How is the length of time between the birth of an animal and the birth of its great great ... great grandparent distributed?
Use your skill and knowledge to place various scientific lengths in order of size. Can you judge the length of objects with sizes ranging from 1 Angstrom to 1 million km with no wrong attempts?
Each week a company produces X units and sells p per cent of its stock. How should the company plan its warehouse space?
Was it possible that this dangerous driving penalty was issued in error?
Formulate and investigate a simple mathematical model for the design of a table mat.
What functions can you make using the function machines RECIPROCAL and PRODUCT and the operator machines DIFF and INT?
Estimate these curious quantities sufficiently accurately that you can rank them in order of size
Find the distance of the shortest air route at an altitude of 6000 metres between London and Cape Town given the latitudes and longitudes. A simple application of scalar products of vectors.
Make an accurate diagram of the solar system and explore the concept of a grand conjunction.
Go on a vector walk and determine which points on the walk are closest to the origin.
When you change the units, do the numbers get bigger or smaller?
Explore the possibilities for reaction rates versus concentrations with this non-linear differential equation
Which units would you choose best to fit these situations?
Analyse these beautiful biological images and attempt to rank them in size order.
Could nanotechnology be used to see if an artery is blocked? Or is this just science fiction?
Can you sketch these difficult curves, which have uses in mathematical modelling?
Can you work out what this procedure is doing?
Explore the meaning of the scalar and vector cross products and see how the two are related.
Use the computer to model an epidemic. Try out public health policies to control the spread of the epidemic, to minimise the number of sick days and deaths.
Explore the relationship between resistance and temperature
To investigate the relationship between the distance the ruler drops and the time taken, we need to do some mathematical modelling...
If a is the radius of the axle, b the radius of each ball-bearing, and c the radius of the hub, why does the number of ball bearings n determine the ratio c/a? Find a formula for c/a in terms of n.
Which of these infinitely deep vessels will eventually full up?
Simple models which help us to investigate how epidemics grow and die out.
Andy wants to cycle from Land's End to John o'Groats. Will he be able to eat enough to keep him going?
Investigate circuits and record your findings in this simple introduction to truth tables and logic.
How efficiently can you pack together disks?
Explore the properties of perspective drawing.
Work with numbers big and small to estimate and calulate various quantities in biological contexts.