Funded PhD Studentship: DTC MATH 37 - Spreading speeds and travelling waves in structured population models: the spreading speed of biological invasions

Swansea University is a UK top 30 institution for research excellence (Research Excellence Framework 2014), and has been named Welsh University of the Year 2017 by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide.

Swansea Science DTC is a community committed to undertaking world-class research that has a positive impact globally and we have a fully-funded PhD scholarship for 2017/2018 entry.

Swansea Mathematics is rated as one of the Top 25 mathematics departments in the UK, and are within the top third in the world (QS World University Rankings 2015).

The Department of Mathematics places a strong emphasis on developing graduate employability and this is evidenced by the fact that 94% of our graduates are in full-time employment or further study within six months of graduating. Graduates have been employed by a wide range of organisations including: AXA, BA, Deutsche Bank, Shell Research, Health Authorities, Zurich Financial Services, Local Government and others.

Description:

Determining the spreading speed of biological invasions is of crucial ecological importance and can be modelled mathematically using initial-value problems and travelling waves for systems of nonlinear partial-differential equations and their non-local variants. How the different traits of species can affect the speed of spread is an exciting topic that is generating challenging mathematical questions and is only beginning to be understood. This project will investigate spreading speeds and travelling waves in population models structured by either a discrete or a continuous trait variable using the rigorous analysis of multi-component reaction-diffusion systems and/or non-local reaction-diffusion equations.