layout: schedule published: true date: ‘2026-10-06’ —
Physical Modeling - Day 1
Repository: https://github.com/colbrydi/physical-modeling
Agenda (80 minutes)
- 10 min - Check-in and introduction to the physical-modeling unit
- 20 min - Review the repository workflow and SIR model assumptions
- 35 min - Guided work in
01_SIR_Intro.ipynb - 15 min - Discuss simulation observations and next steps
Learning Goals
By the end of this class, you should be able to:
- Explain how a physical system becomes a computational experiment.
- Identify the assumptions and state transitions in a simple SIR model.
- Run and modify a simulation, then interpret the resulting behavior.
In-Class Focus
This class begins the physical-modeling unit by using a simple SIR model to connect physical assumptions, computational rules, and simulation behavior.
Use the repository as the primary working reference:
- Repository: https://github.com/colbrydi/physical-modeling
- Notebook:
01_SIR_Intro.ipynb
As you work, consider what each model state represents, which assumptions drive the simulation, and what changes when you adjust a parameter.
Before Next Class
- Finish any remaining work in
01_SIR_Intro.ipynb. - Record one observation about how a parameter changed the simulation.
- Preview
02-Wave_Equaiton.ipynb.