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Artificial Life (819G5)

15 credits, Level 7 (Masters)

Autumn teaching

This module provides you with an introduction to the new field of artificial life. The module has a dual focus: first in bringing computing ideas from biology to AI that are useful in synthesising hardware and software-lifeline artefacts, and secondly using computational tools for testing ideas in biology.

Topics that you will study include: cellular automata and random Boolean networks; models of growth and development; introduction to evolutionary algorithms; dynamical system approaches to cognition; coevolution; fitness landscapes; and information theory and life.

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 35 hours of contact time and about 115 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2024/25. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.