Worked example: Logistic model word problem | Differential equations | AP Calculus BC | Khan Academy

Khan Academy
27 Sept 201708:47
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThe video script presents a detailed exploration of the logistic differential equation, a mathematical model often used to describe population growth under environmental constraints. It explains that the rate of population change is proportional to the product of the current population and the difference between a carrying capacity and the current population. The carrying capacity, in this case, is identified as 48,000 bacteria, representing the maximum population size the environment can sustain indefinitely. The script also addresses the question of when the population grows the fastest, which is found to be at half the carrying capacity, or 24,000 bacteria. The explanation uses both algebraic manipulation and graphical representation to convey the concepts clearly, ultimately demystifying the logistic differential equation and its practical implications for population dynamics.

Takeaways
  • ๐ŸŒฟ **Logistic Differential Equation**: The rate of change of a population (P) with respect to time (T) is proportional to the product of the population and the difference between the carrying capacity (A) and the population itself.
  • ๐Ÿ“ˆ **Population Growth**: When the population is small, the environment isn't a limiting factor, leading to an accelerating growth rate that slows as the population approaches the carrying capacity.
  • ๐Ÿฐ **Environmental Limitations**: As the population grows, environmental factors will eventually limit further growth, causing the rate of change to decrease as the population nears the carrying capacity.
  • ๐Ÿ“Š **Typical Logistic Graph**: The logistic model is often represented graphically, showing an S-shaped curve where growth accelerates from a small population and then decelerates as it approaches the carrying capacity.
  • โˆž **Carrying Capacity**: The carrying capacity (A) is the maximum population size that the environment can sustain indefinitely, which the logistic model approaches as time (T) goes to infinity.
  • ๐Ÿ” **Finding the Carrying Capacity**: The carrying capacity can be identified by setting the derivative of the logistic equation to zero and solving for the population (P), which in this case is 48,000 bacteria.
  • ๐Ÿ“Œ **Maximum Growth Rate**: The population grows the fastest when it is halfway between zero and the carrying capacity, which can be found by analyzing the logistic equation as a quadratic function of P.
  • โณ **Approaching Equilibrium**: As time progresses, the rate of population change decreases and the population size asymptotically approaches the carrying capacity.
  • ๐Ÿ”ข **Quadratic Analysis**: The logistic differential equation can be rewritten in a form that highlights it as a quadratic function, where the vertex of the parabola represents the population size at the maximum growth rate.
  • ๐Ÿ“ **Vertex of the Parabola**: The vertex of the downward-opening parabola, representing the maximum growth rate, is found at half the carrying capacity when the population is at 24,000 bacteria.
  • ๐Ÿงฎ **Calculus and Algebra Tools**: Both calculus and algebra can be used to identify the maximum growth point of the population, which is essentially the vertex of the logistic growth curve.
Q & A
  • What is the logistic differential equation?

    -The logistic differential equation is a mathematical model that describes the growth of a population over time, where the growth rate is proportional to the population size and the difference between the population size and the carrying capacity.

  • What is the carrying capacity in the context of the logistic differential equation?

    -The carrying capacity is the maximum population size that the environment can sustain indefinitely. It is a constant in the logistic differential equation that represents the limit of population growth.

  • How is the rate of population change related to the population size and carrying capacity in the logistic model?

    -In the logistic model, the rate of population change is proportional to the product of the current population size and the difference between the carrying capacity and the current population size.

  • What happens to the rate of population change as the population size approaches zero?

    -As the population size approaches zero, the rate of population change also approaches zero, since there would be no individuals to reproduce and increase the population.

  • How does the logistic model account for environmental limitations on population growth?

    -The logistic model accounts for environmental limitations by including a carrying capacity. As the population size approaches the carrying capacity, the rate of population change decreases, eventually approaching zero, thus limiting the population growth.

  • What is the carrying capacity of the bacteria population in the given logistic differential equation?

    -The carrying capacity of the bacteria population in the given logistic differential equation is 48,000 bacteria.

  • At what population size is the bacteria population growing the fastest?

    -The bacteria population is growing the fastest at a population size of 24,000, which is halfway between the carrying capacity and zero.

  • What is the significance of the quadratic expression in the logistic differential equation?

    -The quadratic expression in the logistic differential equation represents the rate of change of the population as a function of the population size. It is a concave downward parabola, indicating that the rate of change increases with population size until it reaches a maximum and then decreases as the population approaches the carrying capacity.

  • How can you determine the maximum growth rate of the population in the logistic model?

    -The maximum growth rate of the population in the logistic model can be determined by finding the vertex of the concave downward parabola represented by the quadratic expression. This occurs at a population size halfway between the carrying capacity and zero.

  • Why is the logistic model useful for studying population dynamics?

    -The logistic model is useful for studying population dynamics because it accounts for the initial exponential growth of a population when it is small and the subsequent slowing of growth as the population size approaches the carrying capacity, reflecting real-world environmental limitations.

  • What is the initial population size of the bacteria in the given problem?

    -The initial population size of the bacteria in the given problem is 700 bacteria.

  • How does the logistic model differ from a simple exponential growth model?

    -The logistic model differs from a simple exponential growth model by incorporating a carrying capacity, which limits the growth rate as the population size increases. In contrast, an exponential growth model assumes that the growth rate remains constant, leading to unlimited population growth.

Outlines
00:00
๐Ÿ“š Introduction to Logistic Differential Equation

The first paragraph introduces the logistic differential equation, which models population growth with a carrying capacity. The narrator explains that the rate of population change is proportional to the population and the difference between the carrying capacity and the current population. As the population nears the carrying capacity, the growth rate slows down. The carrying capacity is identified as the population size when the growth rate approaches zero over time. The logistic equation is manipulated to its standard form to reveal that the carrying capacity is 48,000 bacteria.

05:02
๐Ÿ” Finding the Maximum Growth Rate

The second paragraph delves into determining the population size at which the growth rate is the fastest. It is explained that the rate of change is initially small when the population is low and increases until it reaches a peak before declining as the population approaches the carrying capacity. The logistic differential equation is identified as a quadratic function of the population, which is concave downward. The maximum growth rate occurs at half the distance between the carrying capacity (48,000) and zero. Using calculus and algebra, the vertex of the parabola is found to be at a population size of 24,000, indicating this is when the population grows the fastest.

Mindmap
Keywords
๐Ÿ’กLogistic Differential Equation
A logistic differential equation is a mathematical model used to describe the growth of a population that is limited by the carrying capacity of the environment. It is defined by the rate of change of the population being proportional to the product of the population and the difference between the carrying capacity and the population itself. In the video, this equation is used to model the growth of bacteria in a petri dish, with the carrying capacity being a key factor in determining the ultimate size of the population.
๐Ÿ’กCarrying Capacity
The carrying capacity is the maximum population size that an environment can sustain indefinitely. It is a fundamental concept in ecology and is used in the logistic model to represent the upper limit on population growth. In the context of the video, the carrying capacity is identified as 48,000 bacteria, which is the point at which the growth rate of the bacterial population would theoretically stabilize as the environment can no longer support further growth.
๐Ÿ’กRate of Change
The rate of change refers to the speed at which a population size is increasing or decreasing over time. It is a central concept in the logistic differential equation, where the rate of change is modeled as being dependent on both the current population size and the carrying capacity. In the video, the rate of change is initially high as the population is small, but it slows down as the population approaches the carrying capacity.
๐Ÿ’กInitial Population
The initial population is the starting number of individuals in a population at the beginning of a study or model. In the logistic model discussed in the video, the initial population of bacteria is given as 700. This value serves as the starting point for the mathematical analysis of how the population will grow over time according to the logistic differential equation.
๐Ÿ’กEnvironment Limitation
Environment limitation refers to the constraints that the environment places on population growth, such as availability of resources, space, and other factors that can affect the survival and reproduction of a species. In the video, the concept is used to explain why the rate of population growth slows as the population size increases, eventually approaching the carrying capacity where the environment can no longer support further growth.
๐Ÿ’กQuadratic Expression
A quadratic expression is a mathematical term referring to an equation of the second degree, which typically takes the form of a parabola when graphed. In the context of the logistic model, the rate of change of the population is described by a quadratic expression, which is concave downward, indicating that the rate of growth is highest at a point below the carrying capacity and decreases as the population approaches this upper limit.
๐Ÿ’กMaximum Rate of Change
The maximum rate of change is the highest speed at which the population size increases during its growth. In the logistic model, this occurs at a population size that is halfway between the initial population and the carrying capacity. The video explains that for the bacteria population, this maximum growth rate happens at 24,000 bacteria, which is the vertex of the downward-opening parabola representing the rate of change.
๐Ÿ’กVertex
In mathematics, the vertex of a parabola is the point at which the parabola reaches its maximum or minimum value. For a downward-opening parabola, like the one representing the rate of change in the logistic model, the vertex represents the point of maximum growth. The video uses the concept of the vertex to determine that the bacterial population grows fastest at a size of 24,000.
๐Ÿ’กZero Growth Point
A zero growth point is a population size where the rate of change of the population is zero, indicating no growth or decline. In the logistic model, there are two zero growth points: when the population is zero and when it reaches the carrying capacity. The video uses these points to find the maximum growth rate, which occurs at a population size halfway between these two points.
๐Ÿ’กTime (T)
In the context of the logistic differential equation, time (T) is the independent variable that measures the hours elapsed since the start of the observation or experiment. The population's growth is analyzed as a function of time, with the logistic equation describing how the population changes in relation to time and its current size.
๐Ÿ’กPopulation Size (P)
Population size (P) is the dependent variable in the logistic differential equation, representing the number of individuals in the population at any given time. The video discusses how the population size changes over time according to the logistic model, starting from an initial population and approaching the carrying capacity as time progresses.
Highlights

The logistic differential equation models the rate of change of a population over time, with respect to the population size and carrying capacity.

When the population is small, the environment is not a limiting factor and the population grows exponentially.

As the population approaches the carrying capacity, the rate of growth slows down and eventually approaches zero.

The logistic equation can be written in the form dP/dt = r * P * (A - P), where r is the growth rate, P is the population, and A is the carrying capacity.

The carrying capacity (A) is the maximum population size that the environment can sustain indefinitely.

In the given problem, the carrying capacity is 48,000 bacteria, as the population approaches this value when time goes to infinity.

The population grows the fastest when it is halfway between its initial size and the carrying capacity.

The maximum growth rate occurs at a population size of 24,000, which is halfway between 0 and the carrying capacity of 48,000.

The logistic equation can be viewed as a quadratic function of population size, with a downward-opening parabola shape.

The maximum growth rate corresponds to the vertex of the parabola, which is halfway between the x-intercepts (population size of 0 and carrying capacity).

The logistic model is useful for studying population dynamics, especially in situations where the environment imposes a limit on population growth.

The model assumes that the population starts from a non-zero value, as a population of zero would not grow.

The rate of population change increases as the population grows, until it reaches a maximum and then starts to decrease as the carrying capacity is approached.

The logistic equation can be solved and analyzed using calculus and algebraic techniques to find the carrying capacity and maximum growth rate.

Recognizing the logistic equation and understanding the relationship between population size, growth rate, and carrying capacity is key to solving and interpreting the model.

The logistic model can be intimidating at first, but breaking it down into components and using graphical and mathematical tools makes it more approachable.

The model provides insights into how population growth is influenced by environmental factors and how it approaches a stable equilibrium over time.

Transcripts
Rate This

5.0 / 5 (0 votes)

Thanks for rating: