Mathematical Biology

Mathematical Biology is a richly illustrated textbook in an exciting and fast growing field. Providing an in-depth look at the practical use of math modeling, it features exercises throughout that are drawn from a variety of bioscientific disciplines - population biology, developmental biology, physiology, epidemiology, and evolution, among others. It maintains a consistent level throughout so that graduate students can use it to gain a foothold into this dynamic research area.

This book explains how to translate biological assumptions into mathematics to construct useful and consistent models, and how to use the biological interpretation and mathematical reasoning to analyze these models. It shows how to relate models to data through statistical inference, and how to gain important insights into infectious disease dynamics by translating mathematical results back to biology.

This richly illustrated third edition provides a thorough training in practical mathematical biology and shows how exciting mathematical challenges can arise from a genuinely interdisciplinary involvement with the biosciences. It has been extensively updated and extended to cover much of the growth of mathematical biology. From the reviews: ""This book, a classical text in mathematical biology, cleverly combines mathematical tools with subject area sciences."--SHORT BOOK REVIEWS

This self-contained introduction to the fast-growing field of Mathematical Biology is written for students with a mathematical background. It sets the subject in a historical context and guides the reader towards questions of current research interest. A broad range of topics is covered including: Population dynamics, Infectious diseases, Population genetics and evolution, Dispersal, Molecular and cellular biology, Pattern formation, and Cancer modelling. Particular attention is paid to situations where the simple assumptions of homogenity made in early models break down and the process of mathematical modelling is seen in action.

Mathematical biology also known as biomathematics is the sub-field of biology which uses analysis, abstractions and mathematical models to study the principles that influence structure, development and behavior of living organisms. It uses techniques and tools of mathematics to understand complex, non-linear mechanisms in biology. It aims to create models and representations of biological processes which can be used in practical as well as theoretical research. Tools and techniques of applied mathematics are commonly used for creating such models. Some of the areas of research in this field are algebraic biology, complex systems biology, computational neuroscience, abstract relational biology and evolutionary biology. This book explores all the important aspects of this field in the present day scenario. It also strives to provide a fair idea about mathematical biology and to help develop a better understanding of the latest developments within the field. In this book, using case studies and examples, constant effort has been made to make the understanding of the difficult concepts of this discipline as easy and informative as possible, for the readers.

Mathematical Models in Biology is an introductory book for readers interested in biological applications of mathematics and modeling in biology. A favorite in the mathematical biology community, it shows how relatively simple mathematics can be applied to a variety of models to draw interesting conclusions. Connections are made between diverse biological examples linked by common mathematical themes. A variety of discrete and continuous ordinary and partial differential equation models are explored. Although great advances have taken place in many of the topics covered, the simple lessons contained in this book are still important and informative. Audience: the book does not assume too much background knowledge--essentially some calculus and high-school algebra. It was originally written with third- and fourth-year undergraduate mathematical-biology majors in mind; however, it was picked up by beginning graduate students as well as researchers in math (and some in biology) who wanted to learn about this field.

This is the only book that teaches all aspects of modern mathematical modeling and that is specifically designed to introduce undergraduate students to problem solving in the context of biology. Included is an integrated package of theoretical modeling and analysis tools, computational modeling techniques, and parameter estimation and model validation methods, with a focus on integrating analytical and computational tools in the modeling of biological processes. Divided into three parts, it covers basic analytical modeling techniques; introduces computational tools used in the modeling of biological problems; and includes various problems from epidemiology, ecology, and physiology. All chapters include realistic biological examples, including many exercises related to biological questions. In addition, 25 open-ended research projects are provided, suitable for students. An accompanying Web site contains solutions and a tutorial for the implementation of the computational modeling techniques. Calculations can be done in modern computing languages such as Maple, Mathematica, and MATLAB?.

This book is based on a one semester course that the authors have been teaching for several years, and includes two sets of case studies. The first includes chemostat models, predator-prey interaction, competition among species, the spread of infectious diseases, and oscillations arising from bifurcations. In developing these topics, readers will also be introduced to the basic theory of ordinary differential equations, and how to work with MATLAB without having any prior programming experience. The second set of case studies were adapted from recent and current research papers to the level of the students. Topics have been selected based on public health interest. This includes the risk of atherosclerosis associated with high cholesterol levels, cancer and immune interactions, cancer therapy, and tuberculosis. Readers will experience how mathematical models and their numerical simulations can provide explanations that guide biological and biomedical research. Considered to be the undergraduate companion to the more advanced book "Mathematical Modeling of Biological Processes" (A. Friedman, C.-Y. Kao, Springer – 2014), this book is geared towards undergraduate students with little background in mathematics and no biological background.