Modeling living organisms: applications

This introductory course will build on the mathematical tools encountered throughout the bachelor's degree program, particularly in the Modeling of Living Systems: Theory course (S4 option), in order to provide an overview of the different approaches and techniques used in modeling living systems. All major families of mathematical models will be covered: static (optimization problems, game theory) and dynamic (extensions of the systems seen in S4, introduction to stochastic processes). The examples of applications of these models will be diverse, covering many biological systems as well as different levels of organization (metabolic, epidemiological, meta-community models, etc.). Particular attention will be paid to epistemological aspects (the contribution of modeling to the construction of theories in the life sciences) and practical aspects (identifiability, calibration, and parametric sensitivity on the one hand, numerical implementation/simulations on the other). Finally, it will be an opportunity for students to familiarize themselves with research topics involving modeling, developed in the Montpellier area.

modeling of living systems: theory (S4)

- Apply concepts and tools from mathematics, physics, chemistry, and computer science to problems in the life sciences.
- Validate a model by comparing its predictions with experimental results and assess its limits of validity.
- Manipulate fundamental mechanisms at the microscopic level, model macroscopic phenomena, and link a macroscopic phenomenon to microscopic processes.