Why do math and biology meet?

Biology, with all its complexity, often seems far from the world of numbers and formulas. However, behind these different life phenomena, there are underlying mathematical patterns. Maths modeling becomes a bridge connecting these two disciplines, allowing us to:

• Studying complex biological systems: The mathematical model can simplify complex biological systems into components that are easier to understand and analyze.
• Create a prediction: With a mathematical model, we can predict how a biological system will change over time or respond to environmental changes.
• Testing hypothesis: A mathematical model can be used to test hypotheses on biological mechanisms that underlay natural phenomena.

Population Dynamics: Searching for Patterns Behind Number

One of the main mathematical modeling applications in biology is in the study of population dynamics. Mathematical models used for:

• Studying population growth: The exponential and logistical growth model is used to describe how a species's population changes over time.
• Analysing interspecies interactions: Predator models and interspecies competitions help us understand interspecies interaction dynamics in an ecosystem.
• Predicting environmental change impacts: The mathematical model can be used to predict how climate change or habitat change will affect a species's population.

Evolution: Tracking the History of Life · Global Voices

Evolution is a process of changing properties passed down from one generation to the next. Mathematical models used for:

• Studying the process of natural selection: The model of natural selection helps us understand how profitable properties of an organism can become more common in a population.
• Analysing philosophical: The philosophical model is used to reconstruct the evolutionary history of an organism group.
• Predicting future evolution: The model of evolution can be used to predict how a species will evolve in response to environmental change.

Sample Mathematical Model in Biology

• Lotka- Volterra model: This model is used to describe predatorean population dynamics.
• SIR model: This model was used to model spread infectious diseases.
• Filogenetics tree: The philosophical tree is a diagram that shows the relationship between species of evolution.

Challenge and Future

Although modelling mathematics has contributed significantly to biology, there are still many challenges to be overcome. Some of them are:

• Complex biological system: Biological systems are often very complex and hard to model accurately.
• Data constraint: Often it's hard to get enough data to build an accurate model.
• Simplified assumption: The mathematical model often makes assumptions that simplify to ease analysis.

The future of mathematical modeling in biology is very promising. As computer technology grows and data availability grows, we can build more complex and accurate models. This will allow us to better understand the mechanism of life and predict the impact of environmental change on the ecosystem.