Speaker:

Nikolai Bode, Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Essex

Abstract:

Migrating flocks of birds, schools of fish and commuters exiting trains are examples for aggregations of moving individuals. Understanding and ultimately controlling the movement dynamics of aggregations requires an understanding of the underlying individual-level mechanisms. In this talk, I will give examples of how we have and intend to explore the nature, extent and consequences of social interactions in moving aggregation. First, we use simulation models to explore the movement dynamics emerging from individual behaviours, focussing on the strength and structure of social preferences in groups. Second, we fit individual-based models for group movement to simulated and empirical data and approximate the extent to which individuals interact in aggregations that move towards a fixed target. Third, we use Bayesian methods to compare the extent to which different candidate mechanisms for information transfer in group responses to environmental stimuli are supported by empirical data.

Date:

Monday, 15 April 2013, 14:15

Venue:

Jülich Supercomputing Centre, Besprechungsraum 1, building 16.3, room 107

Announcement as pdf file: