There is a gap between the extensive mathematics background that is beneficial to biologists and the minimal mathematics background biology students acquire in their courses. The result is an undergraduate education in biology with very little quantitative content. New mathematics courses must be devised with the needs of biology students in mind. In this volume, authors from a variety of institutions address some of the problems involved in reforming mathematics curricula for biology students. The problems are sorted into three themes: Models, Processes, and Directions. It is difficult for mathematicians to generate curriculum ideas for the training of biologists so a number of the curriculum models that have been introduced at various institutions comprise the Models section. Processes deals with taking that great course and making sure it is institutionalized in both the biology department (as a requirement) and in the mathematics department (as a course that will live on even if the creator of the course is no longer on the faculty). Directions looks to the future, with each paper laying out a case for pedagogical developments that the authors would like to see.
An accessible undergraduate textbook on the essential math concepts used in the life sciences The life sciences deal with a vast array of problems at different spatial, temporal, and organizational scales. The mathematics necessary to describe, model, and analyze these problems is similarly diverse, incorporating quantitative techniques that are rarely taught in standard undergraduate courses. This textbook provides an accessible introduction to these critical mathematical concepts, linking them to biological observation and theory while also presenting the computational tools needed to address problems not readily investigated using mathematics alone. Proven in the classroom and requiring only a background in high school math, Mathematics for the Life Sciences doesn't just focus on calculus as do most other textbooks on the subject. It covers deterministic methods and those that incorporate uncertainty, problems in discrete and continuous time, probability, graphing and data analysis, matrix modeling, difference equations, differential equations, and much more. The book uses MATLAB throughout, explaining how to use it, write code, and connect models to data in examples chosen from across the life sciences. Provides undergraduate life science students with a succinct overview of major mathematical concepts that are essential for modern biology Covers all the major quantitative concepts that national reports have identified as the ideal components of an entry-level course for life science students Provides good background for the MCAT, which now includes data-based and statistical reasoning Explicitly links data and math modeling Includes end-of-chapter homework problems, end-of-unit student projects, and select answers to homework problems Uses MATLAB throughout, and MATLAB m-files with an R supplement are available online Prepares students to read with comprehension the growing quantitative literature across the life sciences A solutions manual for professors and an illustration package is available
An accessible undergraduate textbook on the essential math concepts used in the life sciences The life sciences deal with a vast array of problems at different spatial, temporal, and organizational scales. The mathematics necessary to describe, model, and analyze these problems is similarly diverse, incorporating quantitative techniques that are rarely taught in standard undergraduate courses. This textbook provides an accessible introduction to these critical mathematical concepts, linking them to biological observation and theory while also presenting the computational tools needed to address problems not readily investigated using mathematics alone. Proven in the classroom and requiring only a background in high school math, Mathematics for the Life Sciences doesn't just focus on calculus as do most other textbooks on the subject. It covers deterministic methods and those that incorporate uncertainty, problems in discrete and continuous time, probability, graphing and data analysis, matrix modeling, difference equations, differential equations, and much more. The book uses MATLAB throughout, explaining how to use it, write code, and connect models to data in examples chosen from across the life sciences. Provides undergraduate life science students with a succinct overview of major mathematical concepts that are essential for modern biology Covers all the major quantitative concepts that national reports have identified as the ideal components of an entry-level course for life science students Provides good background for the MCAT, which now includes data-based and statistical reasoning Explicitly links data and math modeling Includes end-of-chapter homework problems, end-of-unit student projects, and select answers to homework problems Uses MATLAB throughout, and MATLAB m-files with an R supplement are available online Prepares students to read with comprehension the growing quantitative literature across the life sciences A solutions manual for professors and an illustration package is available
Mathematics for the Life Sciences provides present and future biologists with the mathematical concepts and tools needed to understand and use mathematical models and read advanced mathematical biology books. It presents mathematics in biological contexts, focusing on the central mathematical ideas, and providing detailed explanations. The author assumes no mathematics background beyond algebra and precalculus. Calculus is presented as a one-chapter primer that is suitable for readers who have not studied the subject before, as well as readers who have taken a calculus course and need a review. This primer is followed by a novel chapter on mathematical modeling that begins with discussions of biological data and the basic principles of modeling. The remainder of the chapter introduces the reader to topics in mechanistic modeling (deriving models from biological assumptions) and empirical modeling (using data to parameterize and select models). The modeling chapter contains a thorough treatment of key ideas and techniques that are often neglected in mathematics books. It also provides the reader with a sophisticated viewpoint and the essential background needed to make full use of the remainder of the book, which includes two chapters on probability and its applications to inferential statistics and three chapters on discrete and continuous dynamical systems. The biological content of the book is self-contained and includes many basic biology topics such as the genetic code, Mendelian genetics, population dynamics, predator-prey relationships, epidemiology, and immunology. The large number of problem sets include some drill problems along with a large number of case studies. The latter are divided into step-by-step problems and sorted into the appropriate section, allowing readers to gradually develop complete investigations from understanding the biological assumptions to a complete analysis.
Introductory Mathematics for the Life Sciences offers a straightforward introduction to the mathematical principles needed for studies in the life sciences. Starting with the basics of numbers, fractions, ratios, and percentages, the author explains progressively more sophisticated concepts, from algebra, measurement, and scientific notation through the linear, power, exponential, and logarithmic functions to introductory statistics. Worked examples illustrate concepts, applications, and interpretations, and exercises at the end of each chapter help readers apply and practice the skills they develop. Answers to the exercises are posted at the end of the text.
In this volume the author has succeeded in presenting a truly biologically-oriented introduction to the standard mathematical methods necessary for the treatment of biological problems. The previous editions have proven to be of interest to both biologists who want to become more acquainted with mathematics as well as to mathematicians teaching introductory math courses for the life science students.
The purpose of this unique textbook is to bridge the gap between the need for numerical solutions to modeling techniques through computer simulations to develop skill in employing sensitivity analysis to biological and life sciences applications. The underpinning mathematics is minimalized. The focus is on the consequences, implementation, and application. Historical context motivates the models. An understanding of the earliest models provides insight into more complicated ones. While the text avoids getting mired in the details of numerical analysis, it demonstrates how to use numerical methods and provides core codes that can be readily altered to fit a variety of situations. Numerical scripts in both Python and MATLAB® are included. Python is compiled in Jupyter Notebook to aid classroom use. Additionally, codes are organized and available online. One of the most important skills requiring the use of computer simulations is sensitivity analysis. Sensitivity analysis is increasingly used in biomathematics. There are numerous pitfalls to using sensitivity analysis and therefore a need for exposure to worked examples in order to successfully transfer their use from mathematicians to biologists. The interconnections between mathematics and the life sciences have an extensive history. This book offers a new approach to using mathematics to model applications using computers, to employ numerical methods, and takes students a step further into the realm of sensitivity analysis. With some guidance and practice, the reader will have a new and incredibly powerful tool to use.
A conference on "Some Mathematical Problems in Biology" was held at the University of Victoria, Victoria, B. C. , Canada, from May 7 - 10, 1973. The participants and invited speakers were mathematicians interested in problems of a biological nature, and scientists actively engaged in developing mathematical models in biological fields. One aim of the conference was to attempt to assess what the recent rapid growth of mathematical interaction with the biosciences has accomplished and may accomplish in the near future. The conference also aimed to expose the problems of communication bet~",een mathematicians and biological scientists, and in doing so to stimulate the interchange of ideas. It was recognised that the topic spans an enormous breadth, and little attempt was made to balance the very diverse areas. Widespread active interest was shown in the conference, and just over one hundred people registered. The varied departments and institutions across North America from which the participants came made it both academically and geographically mixed. The chief activity of the conference was the presentation of papers. Nine invited guest speakers (see table of contents) each gave a one hour talk. These covered a wide range of topics. There were twenty-five shorter (twenty minute) contributed papers, and almost all papers l,rere followed by a five minute question and discussion period. Duplicated abstracts of presented papers were available at the meeting. An evening informal discussion meeting of participants, chaired by Dr. A. B. Tayler, and led by Drs. E. M. Hagmeier, E. C.
Issues in Biological and Life Sciences Research: 2011 Edition is a ScholarlyEditions™ eBook that delivers timely, authoritative, and comprehensive information about Biological and Life Sciences Research. The editors have built Issues in Biological and Life Sciences Research: 2011 Edition on the vast information databases of ScholarlyNews.™ You can expect the information about Biological and Life Sciences Research in this eBook to be deeper than what you can access anywhere else, as well as consistently reliable, authoritative, informed, and relevant. The content of Issues in Biological and Life Sciences Research: 2011 Edition has been produced by the world’s leading scientists, engineers, analysts, research institutions, and companies. All of the content is from peer-reviewed sources, and all of it is written, assembled, and edited by the editors at ScholarlyEditions™ and available exclusively from us. You now have a source you can cite with authority, confidence, and credibility. More information is available at http://www.ScholarlyEditions.com/.
This series focuses on core information and is designed to help students get to grips with a subject quickly and easily. Each title is written in an easy-to-follow manner by respected academics and is well-illustrated with clear diagrams.
Broadly speaking, there are two general approaches to teaching mathematical modeling: 1) the case study approach, and 2) the method based approach (that teaches mathematical techniques with applications to relevant mathematical models). This text emphasizes instead the scientific issues for modeling different phenomena. For the natural or harvested growth of a fish population, we may be interested in the evolution of the population, whether it reaches a steady state (equilibrium or cycle), stable or unstable with respect to a small perturbation from equilibrium, or whether a small change in the environment would cause a catastrophic change, etc. Each scientific issue requires an appropriate model and a different set of mathematical tools to extract information from the model. Models examined are chosen to help explain or justify empirical observations such as cocktail drug treatments are more effective and regenerations after injuries or illness are fast-tracked (compared to original developments). Volume I of this three-volume set limits its scope to phenomena and scientific issues that are modeled by ordinary differential equations (ODE). Scientific issues such as signal and wave propagation, diffusion, and shock formation involving spatial dynamics to be modeled by partial differential equations (PDE) will be treated in Vol. II. Scientific issues involving randomness and uncertainty are examined in Vol. III. Request Inspection Copy Contents: Mathematical Models and the Modeling CycleGrowth of a Population:Evolution and EquilibriumStability and BifurcationInteracting Populations:Linear InteractionsNonlinear Autonomous InteractionsHIV Dynamics and Drug TreatmentsIndex Theory, Bistability and FeedbackOptimization:The Economics of GrowthOptimization over a Planning PeriodModifications of the Basic ProblemBoundary Value Problems are More ComplexConstraints and Control:"Do Your Best" and the Maximum PrincipleChlamydia TrachomatisGenetic Instability and CarcinogenesisMathematical Modeling RevisitedAppendices:First Order ODEBasic Numerical MethodsAssignments Readership: Undergraduates in mathematical biology, mathematical modeling of dynamical systems, optimization and control, viral dynamics (infectious diseases), oncology.
