Course Library
Courses and seminars from the Dynamics of Living Systems group at the University of Würzburg — from interactive computational courses to year-long debate seminars. All materials are free to read, reuse, and adapt.
Computational & Mathematical
Self-contained courses that build quantitative tools from the ground up and run interactive demonstrations directly in the browser. Each chapter combines derivations, live widgets, and exercises so students can move between equations, simulations, and intuition in one place.
Theoretical Biology
The mathematics of evolution, ecology, and interaction — from gene regulation and game theory to cultural transmission.
A seventeen-chapter course developing the mathematics of living systems across scales: from evolutionary game theory and classical population ecology to gene regulation, cancer, and coevolution. Each chapter opens with a historical timeline, develops the theory with full derivations in MathJax, and includes in-browser interactive demonstrations where students adjust parameters and watch dynamics unfold in real time. Every chapter closes with 5 conceptual questions and 5 computer problems.
Critical & Reflective
Courses that step back from the bench to examine the concepts, assumptions, and values that shape biological research. These run as structured reading and debate formats rather than lecture series, and aim to develop the critical vocabulary needed to think about biology as well as within it.
Philosophy of Biology
A year-long adversarial debate seminar on the foundations of the life sciences.
Doctoral and postdoctoral researchers are trained to do science, but rarely given the space to examine the philosophical assumptions that underpin their practice. This year-long seminar is built around twelve monthly debates on the major open questions in the philosophy of biology. Participants are randomly assigned a Pro or Con position — including positions they personally disagree with — and argue it from the literature. The result is a practised ability to steelman, to challenge one's own assumptions, and to read primary philosophical work with confidence.
Seminars & Reading Groups
Ongoing, informal forums hosted by the group rather than full courses with fixed syllabi. Open to members, collaborators, and visitors.
Our weekly internal seminar where group members and visitors present work in progress, discuss recent papers, and rehearse upcoming talks. Topics rotate across evolutionary dynamics, ecology, cancer, and whatever else the group is currently excited about.
All materials are released for open reuse. If you find an error, have a suggestion, or would like to contribute a demonstration or a debate topic, please open an issue or pull request on the course repository.