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Commentary: A network science summer course for high-school students

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 May 2020

Florian Klimm Open the ORCID record for Florian Klimm [Opens in a new window]  and
Benjamin F. Maier Open the ORCID record for Benjamin F. Maier [Opens in a new window]
Florian Klimm*
Affiliation:
Oxford Centre for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, OxfordOX2 6GG, UK; Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, 24-29 St Giles’, OxfordOX1 3LB, UK; Department of Mathematics, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK; MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 0XY, UK
Benjamin F. Maier
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Newtonstraße 15, D-12489Berlin, Germany; Robert Koch-Institute, Nordufer 20, D-13353Berlin, Germany (e-mail: benjaminfrankmaier@gmail.com)
*
*Corresponding author. Email: f.klimm@gmail.com
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Abstract

We discuss a two-week summer course on “Network Science” and “Complex Systems” that we taught for 15 German high-school pupils of ages 16–18. In this course, we covered topics in graph theory, applied network science, programming, and dynamic systems alike. We find that “Network Science” is a well-suited course for introducing students to university-level mathematics. We reflect on difficulties regarding programming exercises and the discussion of more advanced topics in dynamic systems. We make the course material available and encourage fellow network scientists to organize similar outreach events.

Keywords

outreachmathematicsphysicssummer courseteaching
Type
Article Commentary
Information
Network Science , Volume 8 , Issue 4 , December 2020 , pp. 596 - 608
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2020

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Footnotes

†

Both authors contributed equally.

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