SCIENCE SEMINAR
Multi-Scale Climate and Environmental Change Research Cluster Seminar
Dr. Brad Willms
Department of Mathematics
Bishop's University
Friday, March 19, 2010
1:30 pm
Nicolls 1
What do “big bad wolves”, “peak oil”, the “hyperlogistic equation”, and “doomsday” have in common? Perhaps not much, but I bet I now have your attention! In this talk, I will describe the logistic differential equation, some variants (including the “hyper” one) and other alternatives. These will then be used to mathematically model “growth” in the phenomenon listed and thereby posit answers (more accurately, ‘predictions’) to the following questions:
- How many gray wolves can occupy the state of Michigan’s upper peninsula (at equilibrium)?
- When earth’s oil supply expires, (as predicted by geologist, M. King Hubbert in 1956) will we have a “hard” or “soft” landing?
- Can the hyperlogistic equation be solved in closed form?
- Can we use a hyperlogistic equation to cancel our date with destiny, Friday the 13th of November, 2026, the day the human race will breed itself into infinity, as predicted by Heinz von Foerster (Science, Nov. 4, 1960)?
