Abstract: Mathematical models of human interactions are important and widely used in epidemiology and many other fields, but building and working with these models at scale is challenging. I will explain two software tools for doing this, both based on category theory. Modelers often regard diagrams as an informal step toward a mathematically rigorous formulation of a model. Giving these diagrams a precise syntax using category theory has many advantages, but I will focus on those connected to "community based modeling": the process of working with diverse community members to build a model. This is joint work with Nathaniel Osgood, Xiaoyan Li and other collaborators.

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Please contact colloquium@math.usask.ca if you have any questions about this event. We hope to see you all on Friday the 6th at 3:30 PM!