Laboratory Courses in Nonlinear Dynamics and Computational Neuroscience

非线性动力学和计算神经科学实验室课程。数学和数值模型在我们理解各种科学学科中的复杂过程中发挥着非常重要的作用。随着高速图形工作站的出现，以及描述复杂动力系统的新的数学和数值方法的出现，现在可以解决许多困难的问题。再加上以大规模数据库、数字时间轴、图形图像和视频的形式出现的实验数据的爆炸性增长，这些新的发展已经在科学计算和数值建模方面开辟了令人兴奋的跨学科新前沿。这项提议的目的是请求支持发展两门新的本科课程，即非线性动力学和计算神经科学，这两门课程将利用卫斯理大学新资助的计算神经科学实验室(DUE-9551414)的最先进设施。计算机建模和图形数据分析方面的实验室实践经验通常仅限于研究生和博士后。然而，由于描述复杂系统的新的计算机技术(高速图形工作站)和新的理论思想(非线性动力学和混沌理论)和数值方法(用于图形和数值分析的高级程序，如数学和IDL)，这些令人兴奋的跨学科领域应该对本科生既容易理解又有吸引力。特别是，拟议的实验室课程应该启发并为地球与环境研究、分子生物学、化学、天文学，甚至艺术和建筑方面的额外本科课程提供一个试验场。

Laboratory Courses in Nonlinear-Dynamics and Computational Neuroscience. Mathematical and numerical models play a very important role in our understanding of complex processes in a wide variety of scientific disciplines. With the advent of highspeed graphics workstations and new mathematical and numerical methods for describing complex dynamical systems, many difficult problems can now be addressed. Coupled with the explosion in experimental data in the form of large-scale data bases, digital timesefies, graphical images, and video, these new developments have opened up exciting new interdisciplinary frontiers in scientific computing and numerical modelling. The purpose of this proposal is to request support for the development of two new undergraduate courses in Nonlinear Dynamics and in Computational Neuroscience that will utilize the state of the art facilities of the newly funded Laboratory for Computational Neuroscience (DUE-9551414) at Wesleyan University. Hands on laboratory experience in computer modelling and graphical data analysis has usually been restricted to graduate and post-doctoral students. However, because of the new computer technologies (high-speed graphics workstations) and new theoretical ideas (nonlinear dynamics and chaos theory) and numerical methods (high level programs for graphical and numerical analysis, like MATHEMATICA and IDL) for describing complex systems, these exciting interdisciplinary fields should be both accessible and appealing to undergraduate students. In particular, the proposed laboratory courses should inspire and provide a testing ground for additional undergraduate courses in Earth and Environmental Studies, Molecular Biology, Chemistry, Astronomy, and even Art and Architecture.