Instructor:
Dr. Michael Doebeli
Office: 110 D, Hut B8
Office hours: Monday 10.30-11.30 a.m., or by appointment
email: doebeli@zoology.ubc.ca
Telephone: 822-3326
Teaching Assistant:
Cort Griswold
Office: 120 M, Hut B8
Office hours: Tuesday, 3-4 p.m.
email: griswold@zoology.ubc.ca
Schedule:
Classes: MWF 9.30-10.30, Biol 2361
Computer labs: Tu 12.30-1.30, 1.30-2.30 (two groups), Biol 4329
Marks:
Homework and labs: 15%
Course Project: 15%
Midterm: 30% (Monday, Feburary 12)
Final: 40%
Course notes:
There is a required textbook that I will follow rather closely in the course. In addition, I recommend taking notes during class. The textbook we will be using is:
Hastings, A. Population Biology. Concepts and Models. (Springer, New York, second corrected printing 1998).
ISBN 0-387-94862-7 (softcover).
The textbook is available at the UBC Bookstore for ca. $40. For pursuing some of the topics covered in the course further and in more detail, I recommend the following book by
Prof. Leah Keshet from the Department of Mathematics at UBC:
Edelstein-Keshet, L. Mathematical Models in Biology. (Birkhauser, 1988) ISBN 0-07-554950-6 (hardcover).
Homework:
All students are required to do weekly readings and homework assignments. Of all the homework assignments, the one with the lowest mark will be disregarded for the final grade. This means that you are allowed one 'freebie'. However, no late assignments will be accepted. Homework must be handed in at the beginning of the Wednesday lecture on which it is due (everything else will be counted as late, and hence disregarded). At the end of the Wednesday lecture on which the homework is due, there will be a short quiz of ca. 10 minutes with one or two questions that are either equal or very similar to questions on the due homework assignment. When marking the homework, the answers from the quiz will count for the corresponding questions on the homework. (For example, if the questions on the quiz were related to problems no.5 and 7 on the assignment due that week, then your grade for this assignment will be based on the quiz questions and on the remaining homework problems other than no. 5 and 7.) In this way, the quizzes will add up to ca. 3-4% of your final grade. Solutions to the homework problems will be made available on the class web site at.
Computer labs:
A required part of the course is a computer lab, for which students are divided up into two groups that meet sepeartely every week (first day of labs: Tuesday, January 9). The labs require no a priori knowledge of computers, no programming experience, and no special familiarity with software. All necessary skills will be taught to you as we go along. The purpose
of these labs is to learn to use the software package Mathematica to help analyse mathematical models. The computer room (Biol 4329) is open from 8-5 weekdays and available computers can be used to complete homework assignments even when other classes are in the room. Computers in Biological Sciences 2434 can also be used to run Mathematica.
Course project:
At the end of the course students will be required to write a small project on a topic of their choice. The earlier you start thinking about possible projects, the easier it will be to do the project. More information will be given in class.
Information:
Homework assignments, answers to assignments, computer lab assignments, as well as other relevant material will be posted on the class web site: Biol 301.
Computers in Biological Sciences 2434 can be used to access the web, email, and Mathematica. (Contact Computing Services 822-6611 if you would like to open your own account.)
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