Programme plan

The programme is based at Applied Physics, it is taught in collaboration with other departments at Chalmers (Applied Mechanics, Energy and Environment) and at Goeteborg university (Department of Physics). The programme provides an interdisciplinary and international learning environment.

Today, in industry as well as in research, computer simulations, game theory, and statistical methods are used to describe and increase our understanding of complex systems in nature and society. But complex systems occurring in nature are also a source of ideas -- genetic algorithms and genetic programming are  based on evolutionary processes in nature; the designs of autonomous robots and of software agents have been successfully based on behaviour observed in biological systems.

A set of courses has been developed for the programme (see below) focusing on both aspects: to enable students to use computer simulations in order to understand the behaviour of complex systems occurring in nature, and to show how nature can show us how to develop efficient adaptive algorithms (for instance in robotics).

The courses are taught in English and shared with Göteborg University.

The introductory courses in the first two quarters acquaint the students with methods and theoretical concepts necessary for describing complex systems. These courses are compulsory. They form a "Minor" for students from other MSc programmes who want to read 20p in Complex Adaptive Systems.

Most students continue in the following quarters to read the courses offered within the programme  (although they could in principle choose other appropriate courses for instance at Mathematics or Computer Sciences). Teaching is by lectures, but also in the form of supervised project work.

The students have the opportunity at this point to specialise in one of the three profiles: robotics, information & evolution, or statistical physics of complex systems.