Random Walks and Diffusion OpenCourseWare: A Free MIT Graduate Study Mathematics Course

Published Jan 16, 2009

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'Random Walks and Diffusion' is an OpenCourseWare that is provided by MIT. It focuses on an advanced subject that investigates discrete random walks and continuum diffusion from a mathematical perspective. The advanced contents of this course necessitates that participants have a background in probability, partial differential equations and computer programming. This course is ideal for graduate-level students studying Mathematics or Physics.

Random Walks and Diffusion: Course Specifics

Degree Level Free Audio Video Downloads
Graduate Yes No No Yes

Lectures/Notes Study Materials Tests/Quizzes
Yes Yes Yes

Random Walks and Diffusion: Course Description

Random walks analysis and diffusion is regularly applied in a wide variety of fields, including biology, medicine, chemistry, engineering, physics, economics and computer science. Professor Martin Bazant, an instructor in the Department of Mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, explores these analytical tools. The initial lecture of the 'Random Walks and Diffusion' course begins with an historical overview and ends with a discussion of normal and anomalous diffusion and mechanisms for anomalous diffusion. The remaining lectures cover a variety of subjects, such as probability flux, parabolic cylinder functions moments, cumulants and scaling. Students will also examine examples of random walks modeled by diffusion equations and a numerical example the rapid convergence of an asymptotic approximation.

The OpenCourseWare materials consist of lecture notes, problem sets and examinations that are available in the form of PDF files that can be downloaded in your computer. If you would like to take this course, visit the mathematics course page.

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