Mathematical modeling has long been essential in physics: for instance, it is well known that distance traveled by an object traveling at constant speed v is proportional to the time traveled t. This mathematical model can be expressed as an equation: d = vt. Since the time of Newton, physicists have been incredibly successful at using mathematics to describe the behavior of matter of all sizes, ranging from subatomic particles to galaxies. Mathematical modeling has in the last two decades become an incredibly powerful and ...
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Mathematical modeling has long been essential in physics: for instance, it is well known that distance traveled by an object traveling at constant speed v is proportional to the time traveled t. This mathematical model can be expressed as an equation: d = vt. Since the time of Newton, physicists have been incredibly successful at using mathematics to describe the behavior of matter of all sizes, ranging from subatomic particles to galaxies. Mathematical modeling has in the last two decades become an incredibly powerful and essential tool in the biologist s arsenal. The tremendous potential of mathematical and computational approaches in leading to fundamental insights on biological systems are inspiring many biologists to find beauty and clarity in models.The central question is to understand how a network of interactions between individual molecules can lead to large-scale results, such as the development of a fertilized egg into a complex organism. The human mind is not suited for making correct intuitive judgments about networks comprised of thousands of actors. Addressing questions of this complexity requires quantitative modeling. To date, few textbooks have been unable to address these complexities directly, which is why Dmitry A. Kondrashov developed "Quantifying Life"--a volume that focuses specifically on mathematical modeling for life scientists, including in-depth study of single variables, relationships between two variables, chains of random variables, and variables that change over time."
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