Applications of Calculus in Medicine and Biology (Math 4)
Mathematical Biology (Math 27)
Instructor: Professor Dorothy Wallace
Have you ever wondered why medical schools require calculus? Or why
biology has recently been described as "the most mathematical science"?
Math 4/27 will show how real researchers in medicine and biology
use mathematical models to predict change and design strategies for
controlling epidemics, administering drugs, managing ecosystems.
Using basic calculus and a free online application, The Big Green Ordinary Differential Equation Machine
you can study a multitude of real situations.
Math 4 is for students with one semester of calculus at least. We
use a text book developed especially for this course. See the
Biology Department web site for how this course fits into prerequisites
for the Biology major. The goal of Math 4 is to enable students
to read critically and think about the research literature in medical
and biological modeling with differential equations.
Math 27 is for students with more mathematical background. Math
22 is a required prerequisite for Math 27. The goal of Math 27 is
to enable students to conduct their own independent research projects
in mathematical biology after completing the course, if they so desire.
Both courses meet in the same room at the same time. The
difference is that in Math 4 we will prepare to read the research
literature, finally doing so around week 5 or 6. In Math 27 we
will be reading the research literature from the start of the course.
In both courses the grades will be based on 3 papers, however the
topics will be different.
Honor principle: All authors must contribute substantially to any paper
with their names on it. All sources must be appropriately cited.
Any suspicion of plagiarism will be forwarded to the COS.