An Excellent Introduction to Applied Mathematics

I have always loved Mathematics as I am a Computer Science student. However, my interests have hitherto been on the pure side. This course was my introduction to Applied Mathematics, particularly in the social sciences. (Of course, I have been exposed to Applied Mathematics before, but it was always in the context of Physics or Engineering.)

I heard about this course because I was reading Scott Page's book - Model Thinking. I thought I'd take the online course parallelly as I read the book. It is an excellent course.

The modules are small and digestible chunks and practical examples are given about each of the models. The course is all about the virtues of thinking of situations in multiple models and recognizing that almost all models are wrong, because by definition, a model must make simplifications from the real world. However, that doesn't mean that the model cannot explain a substantial part of the real world of provide genuine insight !

The tests are great. This was my first CourseEra course. Since each test can be taken multiple times, there is no pressure or stress before the test. I started thinking of the test as another educational experience. The tests really reinforce the material.

I really recommend the course, particularly if you love Mathematics and have not been exposed to how it is used in fields like Economics, Politics and Social Sciences.

The only complain I have is that there is no project or paper required to be written. This is the reason I still do not feel like I have truly mastered the material in depth. I will now try to do something deeper with the material I learnt in this course.

Great Course!

I first took this course in 2012, very first time it appear on Coursera, and it was mind blowing. It really made me a better thinker, open my eyes on some issues and let me look on those issues from a model point of view. Fun thing happen in 2012 - I was graduating from university in my hometown, and a question on my final goverment exam (I don't know if there such thing in other countries) was about Innovation and Solow growth model. And coincidentially I learn about this model from Professor's Page course, just before my exam. I really liked the simple way he explained it. So I was able to show the Final Exam Commission that I not just learn the material, but understant it and can argue about it. They really liked my answer and arguments and gave me a highest grade.

I re-took this course in 2013 and now in 2017. The concepts about diversity and how it help produce a better result, cooperation games etc. is getting more and more useful nowadays (I think). If only more people could understand it, we'd be able not only be a better citizens of the world, but make the world a better place.

Scott E. Page is a great teacher, would be glad to meet him in person.

Big Thanks to Professor Page, University of Michigan and Coursera for providing this great Course. Recommend it to everyone!

Anyone who wishes to better understand our complex world (especially during this tumultuous 2020), I highly recommend the Model Thinking course offered by the University of Michigan via Coursera. It is so much more than an introduction to applied mathematics in the social sciences! This dynamic course will open your mind to new concepts and ways of thinking and help you make sense of our complex world by thinking with models. It gracefully combines theory and practical application.

Thank you, Professor Scott Page, for your enthusiasm, superb ability to communicate, this well-structured and comprehensive course, and for helping us become “more intelligent citizens of the world”!

This is a fantastic course that I would recommend to anyone interested in learning how to think better. It introduced me to many topics that i want to learn more about. Thank you, Professor Page!

The course presents a multitude of models that enable us to analyze human and systems behavior and interactions. By making implicit assumptions explicit we can understand real world processes better.

Course is touch with understandable nice language. Also there are many real life situation to support what being taught. Definitely suggested for those who want to look at world differently

This is a great course! The content ranges widely over models from game theory and equilibrium to evolution, prediction, networks, and more. Anyone who wishes to better understand the world will benefit from the lecture videos and readings. Scott Page is a first-rate expositor, offering helpful examples and analogies to elucidate ideas and relationships. Best along side Page's book *Model Thinking,* the course brings to life many of the ideas surveyed in the text.

The message that models are a very good way of thinking about the world is not mere rhetoric. It's clearly the best option in the house. This course gives us a overview of some of the more important models that exist. It made me miss my university times, where I learnt most of them in other contexts. It was amazing to study these models again in such a broader view of their application.

Enjoy.

very informative and insightful on how to use the various models at our disposal to take optimal decision. Also, was nostalgic to go back in time where these models were part of my university degree.

I learned much more than anticipated. In fact I've already started exploring areas of my work that model thinking would apply and how to use the tools presented in this class. Highly recommend!

It is a creative course which enlightens us with different simple models. Though simple, these models are quite versatile and apply to lots of situations. Worth learning and highly recommanding!

Perfect syllabus and topic arrangement, clear lecturing, except few Chinese

Very long videos

Excellent course. Exposed to a variety of mathematical models to describe phenomena in economics, social sciences, biology, and psychology. I took this course to, in the course's words, "become a more intelligent citizen" and Model Thinking has definitely delivered on that - lots of things in the world now appear more understandable. For example, having learned about R numbers and the SIRS model, I have a greater understanding of the current coronavirus pandemic. Having learned about models of crowd behaviour (e.g. standing ovation model etc.), I have a greater understanding of current BLM, anti-lockdown protests etc. Having learned about models of reciprocal altruism, I can articulate one reason why I've always found people to be more helpful in rural villages as opposed to the big city. The list goes on - that's the main benefit of this course, the models you learn are "fertile" and can be applied to variety of issues that affect you in everyday life.

I was greatly benefited from this course.

It helped me with enhancing my understanding of the world and how people make decisions and how I would make decisions etc. I really recommend this course for everyone to become a smarter person.

The only setback for this course is that their exams (especially the midterm and final exams) are very difficult and take around an hour to solve.

However, keep it up and I encourage you to update the videos because the course has become outdated. I really encourage you of doing so. But I understand how busy you may be.

Thanks again for such a great experience.

Taking this course has really broadened my mind to see how models help to explain situations in the real world, but I don't expect to be able to remember ALL of the models as there are simply too many to choose from! I really enjoyed how the professor eases into each week, gives examples, adds in-video questions to test if you're still awake, and finally ties the lecture off with a "Thank You" ... it really puts a nice touch into an otherwise long and potentially dry course. I'd have liked to see some in-lecture polls, and peer assignments after each mid-term.

i have sincerely learned a lot from simple models which guide effective decisions to how to complex issue such strategic approaches needed in winning multi-dimensional games. The course itself very broad and comprehensive as it covers a wide array of sections in academia, and, adding to that, it also acts as a stepping stone towards expansive understanding of other related topics such as philosophy, critical thinking, and game theory.

Great content and lectures, that possibly provides new dimensions to look/explain the situation in context, I guess I will comeback for references to continue with this journey in to 'Model Thinking'

it is great and thanks for instructor teaching this course. I have learned much

Inch deep mile wide - great, wide-ranging overview of models. Gets a bit technical and quantitative sometimes but the information is useful to apply a more critical thinking lens to everyday life.

The course is pretty comprehensive and covers a lot of ground, but the speed is too fast if you do not have a pretty good grasp of math/statistics. For me this course is un-doable without it. I'm going to take a statistics class first. I might enroll again after I've done just that.

Excellent professor but such a huge plethora of models, information, and videos, that really became boring after a while. Still, the professor did his best to elaborate on such a huge topic. Admins should decrease the sessions and weeks

The teacher's use of crutch words like sort of, like, and you know was distracting. Count how many times he says sort of! It's ironic for a university professor. But this is the United States, the land of substandard education - where everyone is special and receives a medal for participation.

too much theory and not nearly enough practical models that I can use in my life or work. Disappointed so much of the class was spent on describing many different models instead of focusing on ones that can be applied readily.

I loved this course.

I followed this course to prepare myself for teaching a similar course at the HZ University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands.

This MOOC suits me perfectly to flip the classroom. Students study the videos offered by professor Page before they come to class. In class, I organize workshops that take about three hours during which the models are discussed and applied in groups of up to four students. Having a big classroom available with whiteboards all around the walls is a big plus. Standing really makes people's mind moving.

At the end of each workshop, students have to do an assignment that closely relates to the topics that arose during the workshop. Together, all these assignments make up the portfolio wherein students keep track of their learning process and reflect on their learning experience.

I wish everybody a happy thoughtful day,

Frank Peeters

Senior Lecturer at the HZ University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands

frank.peeters@hz.nl