Dynamical Models in Biology

by Miklós Farkas

Overview

Dynamic Models in Biology offers an introduction to modern mathematical biology. This book provides a short introduction to modern mathematical methods in modeling dynamical phenomena and treats the broad topics of population dynamics, epidemiology, evolution, immunology, morphogenesis, and pattern formation.

Primarily employing differential equations, the author presents accessible descriptions of difficult mathematical models. Recent mathematical results are included, but the author's presentation gives intuitive meaning to all the main formulae. Besides mathematicians who want to get acquainted with this relatively new field of applications, this book is useful for physicians, biologists, agricultural engineers, and environmentalists.

Key Topics Include:

• Chaotic dynamics of populations
• The spread of sexually transmitted diseases
• Problems of the origin of life
• Models of immunology
• Formation of animal hide patterns
• The intuitive meaning of mathematical formulae explained with many figures
• Applying new mathematical results in modeling biological phenomena

Miklos Farkas is a professor at Budapest University of Technology where he has researched and instructed mathematics for over thirty years. He has taught at universities in the former Soviet Union, Canada, Australia, Venezuela, Nigeria, India, and Columbia. Prof. Farkas received the 1999 Bolyai Award of the Hungarian Academy of Science and the 2001 Albert Szentgyorgyi Award of the Hungarian Ministry of Education.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780122491030
Publisher:	Elsevier Science
Publication date:	05/23/2001
Pages:	187
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Miklos Farkas received his Ph.D. in applied mathematics at Eötvös Loránd University of Budapest. He has been a professor of mathematics for over 30 years and has published a number of books and nearly 80 research papers. His research interest include stability theory nolinear oscillations, bifurcations, and population dynamics. He received the Bolyai Award of the Hungarian Academy of Science in 1999.

Table of Contents

Preface

Discrete Population Models
Population Dynamics in Continuous Time
Epidemics
Evolution and Population Genetics
Morphogenesis and Pattern Formation

Appendix 1 Discrete Mathematics
Appendix 2 Ordinary Differential Equations
Appendix 3 Partial Differential Equations
Appendix 4 Riemannian Geometry

References
Index

Editorial Reviews

Farkas (mathematics, Budapest U. of Technology) combines material he used in a course on mathematical population dynamics and a broader graduate course on biomathematics to present and treat those mathematical methods that are used to describe dynamical phenomena in biology. He assumes readers to be adept in advanced calculus and linear algebra, and provides concise treatments of more advanced material in the appendices. He speaks to mathematicians interested in applications, and to biologists, medical doctors, and agricultural engineers who have a deeper than average mathematical background. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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