Dynamical System Theory in Biology, Vol. 1: Stability Theory and Its Applications (Wiley Interscience Series on Biomedical Engineering)

Until now, results of work done in the field of control and regulation in biological systems have been scattered throughout the research literature. "Dynamical System Theory in Biology" brings this diverse work together and organizes it so as to present a coherent way of looking at the dynamics of biological systems. The first of two volumes, this volume is concerned with the application of dynamical systems theory, in particular stability theory, to the formulation and solution of important problems of biological organization, regulation, and control. The author stresses the significance of the dynamical formalism as a language for organizing and unifying apparently unrelated branches of biological research, particularly those that deal with different levels of biological organization. Showing how and why the language of mathematics is important for the formulation and solution of problems in biology, Dr. Rosen develops typical, important, and conceptually rich examples from all levels of biology, from the submolecular to the ecological. Many of these examples have never appeared in textbook form before.