Many natural systems -- such as ant colonies, flocks of birds or brain cells -- are inherently "computational" in the sense that they constantly need to process information. This observation motivates us to try to "understand science through the computational lens". Coined by Richard Karp, "the computational lens" approach consists of studying biological scenarios by defining and mathematically analyzing abstract algorithmic problems. In this seminar, we will explore some examples from the literature of the last 25 years, at the intersection between biology and distributed computing.During the seminar, the participants will read original research papers, write a seminar report and give a presentation on a selected topic. The participants should be comfortable in reading and writing mathematical proofs. Prior knowledge about distributed systems, or about biology, is not necessary. The seminar is aimed at advanced students who have a strong interest in theoretical computer science, and who are curious about biological systems, animal behavior and interdisciplinary research.
The seminar will be in English.
Vertiefungsschwerpunkt: Algorithmen und Modelle
Die Veranstaltung wurde 1 mal im Vorlesungsverzeichnis WiSe 2025/26 gefunden:
