Summer School 1980. Mathematical modelling of a limited resource

Abstract

These notes are for a summer school which will introduce mathematically minded year-12 high school students to aspects of resource modelling. The course considers the application of (i) mathematics of exponential processes, and (ii) numerical solution of differential equations to a currently important question - 'when will the world production of crude oil begin to dimish?' A considerable portion of the summer school is devoted to electronic computing, using - large scientific digital computers, - mini-computers, - micro-computers, and - hybrid, analogue-to-digital computers; these are applied to the resource modelling problem and to some simulation processes.