Fitting Parameters to Data from COVID-19 in Calculus I–IV
Yves Nievergelt • Eastern Washington University
“Fitting parameters” means finding parameters that minimize a function. For instance, the mean of numbers minimizes a sum of squared differences. The slope and intercept of a line also minimize a sum of squared differences. So do parameters of models with Susceptible, Ill and Removed subjects. The mathematics is exactly the same for models from chemistry and the environment, as well as the design of aircraft, automobiles, submarines and racing yachts. Data from COVID-19 just seem to grab students’ attention better than chemistry. Hopefully the talk will leave everyone with something for their students to work on.
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