Mathematics of the Selfish Gene



Overview

2026 is the 50th Anniversary of Richard Dawkins' The Selfish Gene, an influential book that told how gene-level natural selection beholds organisms as mere vehicles for the perpetuation of DNA. Dawkins's book eloquently unravelled the underlying theory in lay terms, explaining how selfish motives explain cooperation in the biological world. This course reverse engineers The Selfish Gene, to lay bare the mathematical theories of evolution that underlie key concepts in the book. The course is meant for a general audience with a curiosity for mathematical formulas.

 

Programme details

Courses starts: 26 Apr 2024

Week 1: The Replicators: Natural selection, difference equations and differential equations.

Week 2: Immortal Coils: Descent with modification, life of the gene, geometric and exponential distributions.

Week 3: Aggression: Hawks versus doves, Nash equilibria and solving equations.

Week 4: Genesmanship: Haldane’s cousins, Hamilton’s rule, and calculating expectations.

Week 5: Family Planning: Child-bearing vs child-caring, brood size and optimization.

Week 6: Battle of the Generations: Parental investment, limits to selfishness and optimality.

Week 7: Battle of the Sexes: Sex ratios, mating systems and frequency dependence.

Week 8: You Scratch My Back: Cooperation between non-relatives and advanced relatedness.

Week 9: Nice Guys Finish First: Repeated contests, tit-for-tat and agent-based simulations.

Week 10: The Long Reach of the Gene: Conclusions, recapitulation and discussion.

 

Digital Certification

To complete the course and receive a certificate, you will be required to attend at least 80% of the classes on the course and pass your final assignment. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £257.00
Take this course for CATS points £10.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Prof Daniel Wilson

Daniel Wilson is Director of Studies in Data Science and a Professor at the Department for Continuing Education and the Oxford Big Data Institute. Originally trained in biology and then statistics, Daniel has conducted research in Oxford, Chicago, Lancaster, London, Paris and Mombassa. His work focuses on genetics and infectious diseases, analysing large datasets and developing new computational tools. He has led research studies into genetic risk factors for disease, the genetics of antibiotic resistance, the evolution of microbes, and the use of DNA to track the spread of outbreaks.

Course aims

Introduce mathematical modelling to a general audience motivated by topics from biology and evolution.

Course objectives:

By reverse engineering the theories behind The Selfish Gene, understand how to use the following techniques:

  • Describe a scientific problem mathematically.
  • Make simplifying and transparent assumptions.
  • Solve equations to find equilibrium states.
  • Find maxima to optimize payoffs.
  • Calculate expectations to account for uncertainty.
  • Run simulations to model more complex scenarios.

 

Teaching methods

  • Lectures.
  • Discussion.
  • Group work.
  • In-class exercises (bring pen and paper).
  • Self-study including reading The Selfish Gene week-by-week and consolidating topics from an A-Level Mathematics textbook or web resource.

 

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be expected to:

  • understand the major mathematical theories behind The Selfish Gene;
  • write abstract notions using mathematical formulas;
  • solve simple equations and inequalities to find equilibria;
  • maximize simple equations to find optima;
  • write simple code for simulation;
  • explain and critique modelling assumptions and limitations.

 

Assessment methods

Short weekly exercises, both in-class and as homework.

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form

Application

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form (Word) or enrolment form (Pdf).

Level and demands

Before the course, students will have:

  • Familiarity with the use of mathematical symbols from high school algebra.
  • A desire to use mathematical formulas to model scientific problems.

Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Most of the Department's weekly classes have 10 or 20 CATS points assigned to them. 10 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of ten 2-hour sessions. 20 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of twenty 2-hour sessions. It is expected that, for every 2 hours of tuition you are given, you will engage in eight hours of private study.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support