Computational methods in percolation Lattice percolation, along with the Ising model, is to statistical mechanics as the fruit fly is to biology: easy to produce in large numbers, not too smart or multifaceted, yet with some properties that (one hopes) shed light on more complex systems. I'll describe what bond percolation is and mention some known theoretical results, then walk through some computational approaches to a few questions in the subject. Along the way, I'll discuss some introductory probability, including the elegant inclusion/exclusion principle, and illustrate with ASCII art. John Kerl Graduate Student Colloquium October 29, 2008