AiS Challenge Team Abstract

 

Team Number: 047

School Name: Manzano HS

Area of Science: Population Growth

Project Title: Virtual Civilization

 

 

The world we live in today is a complex one. Technologies, natural resources, disasters, population growth…all of these are factors in our current society. But can these effects be properly illustrated in a computer simulation? Is there a mathematical model that can quantify the effects of these variables? The purpose of this project is to create several differently sized simulated populations and trace the growth of each until they die out. We will factor in available resources, technological development, conflict and disease, and other miscellaneous effects on the total population.

The results of this simulation can be a baseline for charting the timeline of an artificial colony or nation. By taking a certain size population and inputting that into the model, we can observe and record the survival rate of the population and adjust factors, such as original population and available resources, accordingly.

To begin, we will research the average consumption of resources per person, the rate of regeneration of these resources, the frequency of war and disease, and technology's effect on a culture. Interaction between different groups, represented by migration and resource sharing, may be included. These will be put into a computer model using C++ coding techniques. A graphic representation of the population growth may be included as well.

Team Members

Team Mail

Sponsoring Teacher(s)

Project Mentor(s)