Variational Modelling: Energies, gradient flows, and large deviations

Understand

These are lecture notes for various Summer and Winter schools that I have given.

• The notes describe the methodology called Variational Modelling, and focus on the application to the modelling of gradient-flow systems.
• I describe the methodology itself in great detail, and explain why this is a rational modelling route.
• A central example is diffusion, in combination with various other processes, and a large part of the notes are devoted to this phenomenon.