Mathematics of a Finite Planet

MATH35062 Mathematics of a Finite Planet 10 Semester 2 Undergraduate Level 3 Neil Morrison Unit coordinator Paul Glendinning Unit coordinator Department of Mathematics 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Last part of a Bachelors ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 5.0 <div> The unit aims to: introduce students to the challenges created by finite resources and changes in the planetary environment due to human activity. Students will cover a variety of topics, both environmental and societal, developing mathematical analysis and interpreting this analysis in the light of the challenges. They will also be introduced to policy decision making and the assessment of political and ethical issues raised by proposed policies.</div>  <div> ContentWeeks 1-5: Planetary Boundaries. Climate change: physics, evidence and policy. Introduction to ethics and environmental ethics.Weeks 6-9: Topics (3 per week, 2 of which student-led) treated in Impact-Mathematics-Interpretation-Policy style: e.g. biodiversity, cities, energy, ice, ozone, storms.ConceptsCore: these are general concepts that are part of the toolkit of this subject. Mathematical approaches can shed important light on real world problems.There is more to understanding real world problems than simply doing the mathematics. Reflection on practice is an important step in solving problems. Policy suggestions need to be sensitive to people and their circumstances.Threshold: these are step-changes to understanding without which further progress will be limited. A correct mathematical result does not necessarily solve a real-world problem. Policy decisions have an ethical dimension.KnowledgeDeclarative: is what you expect them to be able to describe/explain.Some consequences of a finite Earth for resources. Mechanisms and evidence for climate change. Central ideas of ethics and how they apply to environmental issues. How increased temperatures affects and is affected by other environmental and societal problems.Functional: is what you expect them to be able to do with the knowledge and concepts.Investigate and report on impacts of issues. Derive consequences of mathematical models and measurements of environmental and societal problems.</div>  <div> The unit aims to: introduce students to the challenges created by finite resources and changes in the planetary environment due to human activity. Students will cover a variety of topics, both environmental and societal, developing mathematical analysis and interpreting this analysis in the light of the challenges. They will also be introduced to policy decision making and the assessment of political and ethical issues raised by proposed policies.</div>  On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:<ul> <li> Use local, national and international reports to assess and describe the potential environmental and human impact of the problem</li> <li> Manipulate mathematical and/or statistical models to describe aspects of problems from a finite planet</li> <li> Interpret the mathematics in the context of the original problem, and to reflect critically on the limitations and/or accuracy of the moelling process</li> <li> Develop policy suggestions based on the mathematical descriptions used, and to assess the potential impact and identify any ethical issues raised by the policy and to suggest remedies; evaluate critically the policy proposals and their effects</li> <li> Choose content so as to communicate effectively to a technical audience (for the mathematics) and a more general audience (for the other areas); write documents aimed at different communities in a style and with a content that is appropriate to that readership.</li></ul> <div> First five weeks: 10 hours standard lectures with 3 hours example classes and discussions, 2 hours of student-led panel discussions.Next 5 weeks: 4-5 hours (depending on semester) single topic lectures in Impact-Mathematics-Interpretation-Policy format with 8-10 hours of student-led panel discussions in the same format.Final 2 weeks: 6 hours support for final project submission (of which 2 hours lecture on expectations and writing).</div>  0 Other 20% 3 Report 80% Formative assessment: Report handed in during week 7 based on mathematics and interpretation of results. 2 Pages (1000 words) 20% WeightingSummative assessment: Report in Impact-Mathematics-Interpretation-Policy format at the end of the course. 4 pages (2000 words) 80% WeightingOpportunity to participate in two presentations 2 x share of 10 minute presentations Peer review and comparison with lecture notes provided after the session   MATH24420 Partial Differential Equations & Vector Calculus Pre-Requisite Compulsory PHYS20171 Mathematics of Waves and Fields Pre-Requisite Compulsory MATH20401 Partial Differential Equations and Vector Calculus A Pre-Requisite Compulsory MATH20411 Partial Differential Equations and Vector Calculus B Pre-Requisite Compulsory MATH35062 Pre-Requisites: MATH24420 (or PHYS20171)PHYS20171 is an acceptable alternative for those Maths-Physics students who took that unit instead of MATH24420. N Lecture notes available via BlackboardVarious online materials (e.g. UN Sustainable Development Goals <a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/">https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/</a>, research papers and reports)R. Attfield Environmental Ethics a very short introduction, 2018, OxfordA.E. Dessler Introduction to Modern Climate Change, 2012, CUPH. Goosse, P.Y. Barriat, W. Lefebvre, M.F. Loutre, and V. Zunz (2010) Introduction to climate dynamics and climate modelling, online textbook available at <a href="http://www.climate.be/textbook">http://www.climate.be/textbook</a>.M. Maslin Climate Change a very short introduction, 2014, OxfordR.T. Pierrehumbert  Principles of Planetary Climate, 2010, CUP  Lectures 22 Tutorials 11 0 67