I'd like to try my hand on making a world population game similar to Pandemic[1], but with more realism and a much nicer interface using more modern web technologies. My background is more focused on the interface side of things, but I'm not afraid of spending time and learning algorithms.

Where could I find some papers or examples of this kind of simulation? I'm aware that there are many HNers that have math backgrounds, so I would appreciate the help.

[1](warning: sound and uses Flash): http://www.kongregate.com/games/DarkRealmStudios/pandemic-2