MSc Math Defence: The Development and Analysis of a System of Ordinary Differential Equations to Examine Long-Term Stability of an Aquaponic Environment

Carly Bobak, M.Sc. Thesis Defence

Aquaponic agriculture is a sustainable system which uses interdependent processes and has been growing in popularity. However, relatively little mathematical and other academic research has been conducted in the practice of aquaponic agriculture. In this thesis, two systems of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) are developed and compared to mathematically model the population and concentration dynamics of the environment. Both models have an asymptotically stable non-trivial equilibrium, representing the inherent symbiotic relationship of the variables. Values of the parameters in the system are estimated from the literature so that simulated results can be presented to illustrate the nature of the solutions to the system. As well, a sensitivity analysis is performed in order to identify redundant parameters and highlight those which may need more reliable estimates. In an attempt to recover more reliable estimates, the inverse problem was solved for the simpler model with both manufactured and noisy real-world data.

A copy of the thesis is available (pdf format) from Susan McCormick for examination and comment.