<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><font face="helvetica" size="16"><table width="630"><tbody><tr><td><h2 style="margin-bottom:0;color:#898989;font-style:italic;font-size:25px;">January 6 - 17, 2014</h2><h1 style="color:#2059A6;border-bottom:1px solid #2059A6;margin:2px 0 5px 0;padding:0 0 0 0;font-size:30px;">NECSI Winter School</h1><p><span style="color:#898989;font-size:20px;"><strong>Jan. 6-10 </strong></span><strong><span style="font-size:20px;">CX201: Complex Physical, Biological & Social Systems</span></strong><br><span style="color:#898989;font-size:20px;"><strong>Jan. 12 </strong></span><strong><span style="font-size:20px;">CX102: Computer Programming and Complex Systems</span></strong><br><span style="color:#898989;font-size:20px;"><strong>Jan. 13-17 </strong></span><strong><span style="font-size:20px;">CX202: Complex Systems Modeling and Networks</span></strong><br></p><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p style="font-size:20px;"><strong>Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA</strong></p> <hr style="border:none;border-top:1px solid #2059A6;"><p style="font-size:20px;"><strong>TARGET AUDIENCE</strong></p><p style="font-size:16px;">These courses are intended for faculty, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, professionals and others who would like to gain an understanding of the fundamentals of complex systems for application to research in their respective fields, or as a basis for pursuing complex systems research.<br><br>The winter school offers two intensive week-long courses. The courses consist of lectures, discussions, and supervised group projects. Though the second week builds on material covered in the previous week, CX201 is not a prerequisite for CX202. You may register for either or both weeks. If desired, arrangements for credit at a home institution may be made in advance.<br><br>See course descriptions below or online at:<br><a title="http://www.necsi.edu/education/school.html" href="http://www.necsi.edu/education/school.html">http://www.necsi.edu/education/school.html</a></p> <hr style="border:none;border-top:1px solid #2059A6;"><p><span style="font-size:20px;"><strong>WEEK ONE<br>CX201: Complex Physical, Biological and Social Systems</strong><br></span><span style="color:#898989;font-size:20px;"><strong><em>Dates: January 6-10, 2014</em></strong></span></p><p style="font-size:16px;">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.<br><br>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.<br><br>Methods to be discussed include: statistical methods, cellular automata, agent-based modeling, pattern recognition, system representation and informatics.<br><br><a title="http://necsi.edu/education/school.html?action=wk1" href="http://necsi.edu/education/school.html?action=wk1">http://necsi.edu/education/school.html?action=wk1</a></p> <hr style="border:none;border-top:1px solid #2059A6;"><p><span style="font-size:20px;"><strong>LAB</strong><br><strong>CX102: Computer Programming and Complex Systems</strong><br></span><span style="color:#898989;font-size:20px;"><em><strong>Date: January 12, 2014</strong></em></span></p><p style="font-size:16px;">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.<br><br>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.<br><br><a title="http://necsi.edu/education/school.html?action=lab" href="http://necsi.edu/education/school.html?action=lab">http://necsi.edu/education/school.html?action=lab</a></p> <hr style="border:none;border-top:1px solid #2059A6;"><p><span style="font-size:20px;"><strong>WEEK TWO</strong><br><strong>CX202: Complex Systems Modeling and Networks</strong><br></span><span style="color:#898989;font-size:20px;"><em><strong>Dates: January 13-17, 2014</strong></em></span></p><p style="font-size:16px;">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.<br><br>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.<br><br>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.<br><br>NOTE: Students without a background in programming are strongly recommended to attend CX102: Computer Programming and Complex Systems in conjunction with CX202.<br><br><a title="http://necsi.edu/education/school.html?action=wk2" href="http://necsi.edu/education/school.html?action=wk2">http://necsi.edu/education/school.html?action=wk2</a></p> <hr style="border:none;border-top:1px solid #2059A6;"><p style="font-size:20px;"><strong>Comments from previous students:</strong></p><p style="font-size:16px;"><em>Excellent course...useful thematic overview... applications in diverse contexts were exciting. Particularly appreciated the group project - excellent experiential pedagogy.</em><br><br><em>The course was an eye-opening framework to analyze my work through a different lens.</em><br><br><em>Presentations were extremely useful for me in understanding how to begin modeling complex systems and assessing them. Helped me understand a lot of things I have been doing so far without clearly understanding the principles.</em><br><br><em>This class very much stretched my mind to apply the ideas of complexity to the world... I believe I learned more on a grander scale... will help enrich my vocabulary and the way of thinking in the world with respect to complexity.</em><br><br><em>Excellent class. I hope to take a more active role in the community.</em><br><br><em>This course contained more insight than any other 'complexity' themed course that I have taken.</em><br><br>For more information and registration, visit:<br><a title="http://necsi.edu/education/school.html" href="http://necsi.edu/education/school.html">http://necsi.edu/education/school.html</a></p><img src="http://www.necsi.edu/images/emailfooter.gif" alt="New England Complex Systems Institute" style="border-bottom:1px solid #2059A6;font-size:24px;display:block;font-weight:bold;border-top:1px solid #2059A6;margin-top:15px;padding-top:5px;width:620px;"><p style="padding-top:15px;color:#5E5D5E;font-style:italic;text-align:center;vertical-align:top;font-size:14px;">New England Complex Systems Institute<br>238 Main Street Suite 319<br>Cambridge, MA 02142<br>Phone: 617-547-4100<br>Fax: 617-661-7711</p></td></tr></tbody></table></font></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><pre><br></pre>
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