Theoretical Models in Biology: The Origin of Life, the Immune System and the Brain (Oxford Science Publications) - Hardcover

Anyone who is interested in the theoretical models of complicated living systems should have this in his or her library. (Bulletin of Mathematical Biology)

This book surveys current practice in theoretical and computer modelling in biology. Areas considered are: the origin of life, the immune system, memory in the brain. Each area is introduced with a chapter on the relevant biology, and five or six models are described in some detail. The mathematics behind biological phenomena is usually highly complex but is currently of growing interest amongst applied mathematicians. MSc courses in mathematical biology have been start in the United States. Key departments are Cornell, University of Boston, and University of Washington, Seattle. And in the UK (University of Dundee). In research topics such as neural networks, vision, the immune system are of considerable interest. The existing books concentrate on the traditional mathematics of differential equations but Rowe's book is novel in its emphasis on modelling and computer simulations. Rowe, in his well-written survey of models from three areas of biology - the immune system, memory and the brain, and the origin of life - covers a broad range of biological as well as mathematical ideas.

This book surveys theoretical models in three broad areas of biology (the origin of life, the immune system, and memory in the brain), introducing mathematical and (mainly) computational methods that have been used to construct simulations. Most current books on theoretical biology fall into one of two categories: (a) books that specialize in one area of biology and treat theoretical models in considerable depth; and (b) books that concentrate on purely mathematical models, with computers used only to find numerical solutions to differential equations, for example. Although some mathematical models are considered in this book, the main emphasis is on stochastic computer models of biological systems. Such techniques have a much greater potential for producing detailed, realistic models of individual systems, and are likely to be the preferred modelling methods of the future. By considering three difference areas in biology, the book shows how several of these modelling techniques have been successfully applied in diverse areas.

Put simply, this book is important because it shows how the power of modern computers is allowing researchers in theoretical biology to break free of the constraints on modelling that were imposed by the traditional differential equation approach.