This course has been discontinued.
Last planned examination: Spring 2000
Decision to discontinue this course: No information inserted

Self-organization is a new way of addressing nature, economy, biology and many other aspects of man and environment. Described phenomena are typically far from static equilibrium, strongly influenced by the external environment and organize themselves through chaotic fluctuations.
Aim
Understanding for mechanisms that lead from chaotic behaviour to perfect order and harmony. Meaning of catastrophes like avalanches, earth quakes, stock market crashes and so on.
Course offering missing
Course offering missing for current semester as well as for previous and coming semestersContent and learning outcomes
Course contents
Chaos and self-organization. The Gutenberg-Richter law. Fractal geometry. Mandelbrot diagrams. The 1/f distribution. The sandpile model. Applications in plasma physics.
Intended learning outcomes
Self-organization is a new way of addressing nature, economy, biology and many other aspects of man and environment. Described phenomena are typically far from static equilibrium, strongly influenced by the external environment and organize themselves through chaotic fluctuations.
Aim
Understanding for mechanisms that lead from chaotic behaviour to perfect order and harmony. Meaning of catastrophes like avalanches, earth quakes, stock market crashes and so on.
Course Disposition
Hand in exercises and group-work.
Literature and preparations
Specific prerequisites
120 hp in industrial economics or electrical engineering or technical physics including documented proficiency in English B or equivalent.
Recommended prerequisites
Students with bachelor's degree, or equal, in industrial economics or electrical engineering or technical physics.
Equipment
No information inserted
Literature
Mandelbrot B., The Fractal Geometry of Nature, New York, Freeman, 1983.
Prigogine I., From Being to Becoming, San Francisco, Freeman, 1980.
Tendler M., Kontroll över Kaos i Starkt Magnetiserat Plasma, Fysik-Aktuellt, nr 2, s. 25- 28, 1997.
Examination and completion
If the course is discontinued, students may request to be examined during the following two academic years.
Grading scale
A, B, C, D, E, FX, F
Examination
- ÖVN1 - Assignments, 6,0 hp, betygsskala: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F
Based on recommendation from KTH’s coordinator for disabilities, the examiner will decide how to adapt an examination for students with documented disability.
The examiner may apply another examination format when re-examining individual students.
Other requirements for final grade
After completion of the course the student shall be able to
1. explain the ubiquitous power laws emerging in different fields
2. apply power laws to Gutenberg – Richter statistics of earthquakes, starquakes and solar flares
3. describe the sand-pile paradigm and quantify the algorithm
4. show the robustness and sensitivity to initial and boundary conditions
5. explain the origin of the self-organization using the game of life as the example
6. use the self-organization paradigm in addressing density and temperature profiles in tokamaks
7. create a Java-implementation of one of the selforganizing systems
8. use the program to qualitatively hint at some of the attributes of the system
9. write a report where to describe the model and implementations
Opportunity to complete the requirements via supplementary examination
No information inserted
Opportunity to raise an approved grade via renewed examination
No information inserted
Examiner
Ethical approach
- All members of a group are responsible for the group's work.
- In any assessment, every student shall honestly disclose any help received and sources used.
- In an oral assessment, every student shall be able to present and answer questions about the entire assignment and solution.
Further information
Course web
Further information about the course can be found on the Course web at the link below. Information on the Course web will later be moved to this site.
Course web ED2230Offered by
Main field of study
Electrical Engineering
Education cycle
Second cycle
Add-on studies
No information inserted
Contact
Michael Tendler
Supplementary information
The course is learning-oriented with goal related lectures and with class exercises carried out as group work. The examination is continuous; it consists in participation at lectures, group works and in solving hand out exercises.
Replaces 2A1170