School of Mathematics

Raluca Eftimie

Raluca Eftimie abstract

Raluca Elftimie, Department of Mathematics, University of Dundee

Mathematical mechanisms behind pattern formation in biological aggregations with nonlocal interactions

 

Abstract: Pattern formation is one of the most studied aspects of animal communities. Some of the most striking patterns observed in these communities are related to the behavior displayed by animal groups: from migrating herds of ungulates to zigzagging flocks of birds, or the rippling waves of Myxobacteria.

Understanding the biological and mathematical mechanisms behind the formation of these patterns, as well as behind the abrupt transitions between these patterns, has become an active area of research.

In this talk, I will present and investigate a class of nonlocal hyperbolic models introduced to describe the formation and movement of self-organized biological aggregations. After a brief discussion of the models, I will focus on the large variety of spatial and spatiotemporal patterns displayed by these models, and discuss the mathematical approaches taken to investigate them.