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CCMS Colloquium: Agent-Based and Continuous Models of Locust Hopper Bands (Andrew J. Bernoff, Harvey Mudd College, CA)
April 23 @ 4:15 pm - 5:30 pm
Speaker: Andrew J. Bernoff, Professor of Mathematics, Harvey Mudd College
Abstract: An outstanding challenge in mathematical biology is using laboratory and/or field observations to tune a model’s functional form and parameter values. These problems lie at the intersection of dynamical systems and data science. In this talk I will discuss an ongoing project developing models of the Australian plague locust for which excellent field data is available. Under favorable environmental conditions flightless juveniles aggregate into coherent, aligned swarms referred to as hopper bands. We develop two models of hopper bands in tandem; an agent-based model that tracks the position of individuals and a continuum model describing locust density. By examining 4.4 million parameter combinations, we identify a set of parameters that reproduce field observations.
I will then discuss ongoing efforts to improve these models. The first extends this work by modeling locust alignment via the Kuramoto model of oscillator synchronization. The second uses motion tracking of tens of thousands of locusts to shed light on how locust movement is influenced by social interactions.
Bio: Andrew Bernoff is a Professor of Mathematics whose research focuses on applying dynamical systems to physical and biological phenomena, with notable international recognition for his work on swarming. He earned degrees in math and physics from MIT and a PhD from the University of Cambridge as a Marshall Scholar. With over 50 published papers and multiple NSF and Simons Foundation grants, his interdisciplinary collaborations span physics, engineering, chemistry, and biology.
A dedicated educator, Bernoff has mentored over 60 undergraduate research projects at Harvey Mudd College, with many students pursuing PhDs at top institutions. He has served in leadership roles including Director of the Claremont Center for Mathematical Sciences, Chair of the SIAM Dynamical Systems Group, and a co-author of the Putnam Exam (2019–2021).