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Worksheet 03

The document is a worksheet focused on studying state variables and population models, including examples related to ant colonies, moose in Vermont, and shark-tuna dynamics. It includes exercises on identifying state variables, state spaces, and performing vector operations, as well as graphing and analyzing trajectories and time series. Additionally, it references the Lorenz equations and encourages exploration of different parameters and initial conditions.

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Aarav Jaiswal
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2 views

Worksheet 03

The document is a worksheet focused on studying state variables and population models, including examples related to ant colonies, moose in Vermont, and shark-tuna dynamics. It includes exercises on identifying state variables, state spaces, and performing vector operations, as well as graphing and analyzing trajectories and time series. Additionally, it references the Lorenz equations and encourages exploration of different parameters and initial conditions.

Uploaded by

Aarav Jaiswal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Worksheet 3

1. Warm-Up: Suppose we are interested in studying an ant colony. What are some potential state
variables we could use? Give an example of something that might not be a good state variable.

Important Definitions:
• The state of a system is the condition of a system at a given time.

• The set of all conceivable state values of a system is called its state space.

2. Consider the following population model for moose in Vermont.


✓ ◆
M
M 0 = 0.5M 1
3000

(a) What assumptions do you notice about our model?

(b) What is the state variable?

(c) What are all of the possible states?

(d) What are a few di↵erent states? Graph them.

3 © Harvard Pre-College Program


3. Let’s return again to the shark-tuna example.

S 0 = m ST ds S
0
T = bT ST

(a) What are the state variables?

(b) What is the state space?

(c) Indicate 3 possible states and graph them.

4. For each of the following state variables, describe the state space:

(a) The color of a traffic light.

(b) A person’s net wealth.

(c) Fraction of the population of dogs that have brown fur.

4 © Harvard Pre-College Program


State Vector Operations:
• Addition:(S1 ,T1 ) + (S2 ,T2 ) = (S1 + S2 ,T1 + T2 )

• Scalar Multiplication: c(S,T ) = (cS,cT )

5. Let’s practice vector operations. For the first two examples, find the new vector algebraically and
represent the operation you did geometrically.

(a) (8,4) + (1,3)

(b) 2(3,4)

(c) These operations are true for vectors with any number of components. Compute the following:
(1,2,3) + 2( 2,3,5).

Notes:

5 © Harvard Pre-College Program


6. Let’s return to the logistic model in the first problem:
✓ ◆
0 M
M = 0.5M 1
3000

(a) Consider you answer to Problem #2 part (d). Above each of the chosen points in the state space,
draw the corresponding change vectors in the tangent space.

7. Consider the following system, which models the motion of a spring. The state variable X denotes the
position and V is the velocity of the spring.

V0 = X
0
X =V

(a) Sketch the state space and indicate four di↵erent states.

(b) Compute the change vectors for each state and add them to your graph.

(c) Now let’s plot the full vector field in Sage!

6 © Harvard Pre-College Program


8. Now we’ll use the shark-tuna model below to talk about trajectories and time series.

S 0 = 0.005ST 0.2S
0
T = 0.5T 0.01ST

(a) Graph the state space, 3 states and the change vectors for 3 states.

(b) Use Sage to plot the corresponding vector field.

(c) With our vector field, we might be interested in what happens if we start with 4 sharks and 30
tuna. Using the vector field, what would happen to each of the populations over time?

(d) Give sketches of the time series for both the shark and tuna, and compare it to the results in this
simulation.

7 © Harvard Pre-College Program


9. Edward Lorenz, a mathematician and meteorologist, made many discoveries in the prediction of weather
using a system called the Lorenz equations. Using this model investigate what happens when you use
di↵erent parameters and di↵erent initial conditions.

10. Both the trajectory and time series can be useful in understanding a model, so being confident in
moving between the two is a good skill to have. Let’s look back at the logistic model of Problem #2.

(a) Choose an initial condition, that is, choose the initial population of moose.

(b) Draw a time series from your logistic model starting at the initial condition you chose.

8 © Harvard Pre-College Program


11. Look back on the shark tuna simulation. Match any key points you see on the time series to the
corresponding points on the trajectory.

12. Consider the spring model in Problem #7.

(a) Draw a trajectory using your vector field.

(b) Draw the corresponding time series for each state variable.

9 © Harvard Pre-College Program

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