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<TITLE>Complex Adaptive Systems, M.Sc. in Bioinformatics</TITLE>
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Complex Adaptive Systems (2008)<BR>
(<A HREF="http://bioinformatics.biol.uoa.gr/msc/">M.Sc. in Bioinformatics, University of Athens</A>)
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<UL>
<LI><A HREF="#Objectives">Objectives</A>
<LI><A HREF="#Description">Description</A>
<LI><A HREF="#Material">Course material</A>
</UL>
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<A NAME="Objectives">
<H2>Objectives</H2>
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<LI>At a theoretical level, to present to the students a global view of the methods and
techniques of the interdisciplinary field of complex adaptive systems, as applied to
the dynamic modeling and the theoretical investigation of a wealth of biological problems
at all levels of analysis. Moreover, to offer to the students a theoretical background
that will allow the identification and discovery of new problems that lend themselves to
this kind of modeling and study.
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<LI>At a practical level, to have the students experiment with some pre-existing systems
and/or model some complex dynamical phenomena, so as to systematically investigate and
evaluate alternative models and corresponding results as far as their validity is concerned
as well as  from a methodological point of view.
</OL>

<H3>Instructor</H3>
<PRE>
	<B>Elpida Tzafestas</B>
	Senior Researcher
	Institute of Communication and Computer Systems
	National technical University of Athens
	Zographou Campus 15773
	Tel. 210-772 2489,
	     210-772 1527
	Fax. 210-772 2490

	<IMG ALIGN=MIDDLE SRC="../Images/mail.gif"> <A HREF="mailto:brensham@softlab.ece.ntua.gr"><EM>brensham@softlab.ece.ntua.gr</EM></A>
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</PRE>

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<A NAME="Description">
<H2>Description</H3>
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<TD><B>Introduction</B></TD>
<TD><UL>
<LI>Fundamental concepts, principles and definitions
<LI>Demos
<LI>Cellular automata
<LI>Fractals
</UL></TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD><B>History, roots, topics</B></TD>
<TD><UL>
<LI>Cybernetics
<LI>Artificial intelligence
<LI>Artificial life
<LI>Methodology
</UL></TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD><B>Behavior</B></TD>
<TD><UL>
<LI>Navigation, control and behavioral regulation
<LI>Motivational control
<LI>Learning (Spatial, associative etc.)
</UL></TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD><B>Populations</B></TD>
<TD><UL>
<LI>Behavioral ecologies
<LI>Social insects
<LI>Flocks and groups
<LI>Communication
</UL></TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD><B>Molecules</B></TD>
<TD><UL>
<LI>Artificial chemistries
<LI>Genetic regulation models, Boolean networks
<LI>Modeling of metabolic pathways
</UL></TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD><B>Development</B></TD>
<TD><UL>
<LI>Morphogenesis, production grammars and L-systems
<LI>Generalized developmental systems
<LI>Stabilization, equilibrium
<LI>Communication, dynamics and pathology
</UL></TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD><B>Evolution</B></TD>
<TD><UL>
<LI>Techniques : Genetic and evolutionary algorithms, Genetic programming
<LI>Evolutionary phenomena in populations, Symbiosis and symbiogenesis, Speciation
<LI>Evolution of game strategies, The cooperation problem, Evolutionary stable strategies
</UL></TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD><B>Dynamics</B></TD>
<TD><UL>
<LI>Fundamental concepts
<LI>Description of phenomena and systems as dynamical systems
<LI>Distributed dynamics, Emergence
<LI>Simulation and visualization
</UL></TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
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<A NAME="Material">
<H2>Course material (incomplete)</H2>
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<LI><H3>External readings</H3>

<P>
<UL>
<LI><A HREF="Readings_2008.html#Intro">Introduction</A><BR>
<LI><A HREF="Readings_2008.html#Roots">History, roots, topics</A><BR>
<LI><A HREF="Readings_2008.html#Behavior">Behavior</A><BR>
<LI><A HREF="Readings_2008.html#Populations">Populations</A><BR>
<LI><A HREF="Readings_2008.html#Molecular">Molecules</A><BR>
<LI><A HREF="Readings_2008.html#Development">Development</A><BR>
<LI><A HREF="Readings_2008.html#Evolution">Evolution</A><BR>
<LI><A HREF="Readings_2008.html#Dynamics">Dynamics</A><BR>
</UL>
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<LI><H3>Assignments</H3>
<OL>
<LI>Behavior : Action selection
<LI>Ecology : Food webs
<LI>Molecules: Boolean networks
<LI>Essay assignment
</OL>
</UL>

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<HR>
<EM>Page last updated 26 March 2009.</EM><BR>
<A HREF="mailto:brensham@softlab.ece.ntua.gr">
<EM>Send me mail (brensham@softlab.ece.ntua.gr)</EM></A><BR><BR>

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