If Malthus Was Right

by Allen Poudrette

Submitted : Fall 2013

Thomas Malthus used a differential equation to predict the population growth of humans. In present day, we know that humans grow exponentially, but with a more complicated model. This project attempted to determine how close Malthus’s simplified model was to real population growth. Though his model created fairly similar results, it resulted in additional tens of millions of people. When taken into context of how many people there are in the world, however, it doesn’t appear to be a large number.

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