Stochastic Modelling

Description

Stochastic processes occur in finance as models for asset prices, in telecommunications as models for data traffic, in computational biology as hidden Markov models for gene structure, in chemistry as models for reactions, in manufacturing as models for assembly and inventory processes, in biology as models for the growth and dispersion of plant and animal populations, in speech pathology and speech recognition and many other areas. This course introduces the theory of stochastic processes including Poisson processes, Markov chains in discrete and continuous time, and renewal processes. These processes are illustrated using examples from real-life situations. It then considers in more detail important applications in areas such as queues and networks (the foundation of telecommunication models), finance, and genetics. Teaching Period: 27 July 2026 to 25 October 2026 Assessment Information: Description Timing Percentage Two written assignments due mid-semester and at the end of semester amounting to a total of up to 50 pages(*) 50 pages During the teaching period 20% A written examination 3 hours During the examination period 80% Additional details