Modelling is a simplified, mathematically formalised way to approximate reality. Mathematical modelling translates real-world problems into tractable mathematical formulations. Theoretical and numerical analyses provide insight, answers and guidance useful for the application. Mathematical modelling is indispensable in many areas.
The model provides an abstraction that reduces a problem to its essential characteristics. The models are fitted to data, identifying the possible processes underlying the particular phenomenon. Statistical modelling combines inferences based on collected data and populations to understand and predict information in an idealised form.
Descriptive statistics abstracts data sets, reducing the complexity to understand the trends underlying the data. Inferential statistics tests hypotheses about data.
The UNSW School of Mathematics & Statistics specialises in areas of modelling such as:
- biomathematics and biostatistics (modelling of biological systems and biomedicine)
- ecology
- fluid dynamics
- oceanic and atmospheric sciences
- finance and risk analysis.