• Senior Thesis
• Department of Mathematics
• Harvey Mudd College

Joseph Majkut

Harvey Mudd College Mathematics 2006

Thesis Proposal:	Investigation of Swarming Behavior
Thesis Advisor:	Prof. Andrew J. Bernoff
Second Reader:	Prof. Chad Topaz (UCLA)
E-Mail:	jmajkut@gmail.com

Foraging and Swarming in Fruit Flies

Collective motion is a common phenomenon in the natural world. This project will focus on the collective motion of insects and how social rules governing individuals' behavior affect the global structure of a swarm. This project will begin with an up-to-date literature survey for the new and quickly expanding field. I will then set up equations of motion, based on pairwise interaction, and apply numerical simulations and analytical techniques to investigate how a swarm moves and the motions within a swarm. Areas of interest for the project include; walls, wind, and randomness.

Here is the PDF of my Final report, an annotated bibliography, and my Presentation Days poster.