Modeling the Dynamics of Life: Calculus and Probability for Life Scientists (with iLrn™ Testing) (Hardcover)

by Frederick R. Adler (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Perhaps my favorite feature of the revised manuscript is the naming of examples. Students often study mathematics at this level by attempting new problems based on examples. By naming the ideas discussed in a particular example in the text, the author has made it easier for a student attempting an exercise to locate a relevant example in the text."



"F. Adler’s MODELING THE DYNAMICS OF LIFE: CALCULUS AND PROBABILITY FOR LIFE SCIENTISTS is a unique calculus text in that it contains introductory material on discrete time dynamical systems and their solutions."



"The revised manuscript is well written and robust. There are numerous worked out examples that allow a student to carefully digest concepts as well as many new carefully constructed exercises designed to re-enforce understanding."

"This is an excellent text because of the very strong emphasis on biological applications, the inclusion of updating functions, and the interesting physiological subsections."



"I was drawn to this book for several reasons. One was that it seemed less intimidating than other texts, which I considered important since many biology students have an aversion to mathematics. Another reason was that the biological applications are an integral part of the text; it doesn’t come across as artificial, or something found only in the exercises. Third, I like the inclusion of updating functions; it fits into our general curriculum of the minor in mathematical biology."

"Adler does an excellent job at presenting difficult material at the mathematically appropriate level for his audience. Moreover, the new edition is improved by the large number of new exercises, examples and the greater mathematical precision of the text."

Product Description
Designed to help life sciences students understand the role mathematics has played in breakthroughs in epidemiology, genetics, statistics, physiology, and other biological areas, this text provides students with a thorough grounding in mathematics, the language, and 'the technology of thought' with which these developments are created and controlled. The text teaches the skills of describing a system, translating appropriate aspects into equations, and interpreting the results in terms of the original problem. The text helps unify biology by identifying dynamical principles that underlie a great diversity of biological processes. Standard topics from calculus courses are covered, but with particular emphasis on those areas connected with modeling: discrete-time dynamical systems, differential equations, and probability and statistics.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 912 pages
• Publisher: Brooks Cole; 2 edition (October 22, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0534404863
• ISBN-13: 978-0534404864
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #400,656 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Introduction to Mathematics for Biologists, May 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Modeling the Dynamics of Life: Calculus and Probability for Life Scientists (Hardcover)

I bought this book as a "do it yourself" introduction to mathematics (for a biologist). It is quite rare to find a textbook as easy and enjoyable to follow as Frederick Adler's book. The text starts with very little assumed knowledge of mathematics and works through the basics of calculus using interesting examples taken from biology. The exercises at the end of each chapter are straightforward and easy to follow (my only complaint about the book is that they only provide solutions to every second question, so working alone it is hard to check your results). It is rare to find a text (especially in maths) that you can truly work through on your own. I recommend it for any Biologist wishing an intorduction to or to expand the knowledge of the growing field of Mathematical Biology.

3 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars HORRIBLE, RUN AWAY!, September 13, 2006

By	Benjamin Britton "~BB" (Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've been in math for a while now, and am used to good books that teach well... I've taken, sequentially, pre-algebra, intermediate algebra, college algebra, trigonometry, and Calculus I, all in college.

This book is beyond a hard read. Our teacher is not a biologist, but is a mathemitician. I was wondering about chapter 1... its extremely hard and just throws around equations as if you understand them without explaining them. BOO. I had never heard of Discrete Time Dynamical Systems before. I asked my teacher if he even did it... he said, 'Well, yes, in Linear Algebra, after the Calculus 1,2 and 3 series". Agh! He then said we cover in this one semester, what he did in 3 with this book for math, though not as in depth of course. >:(

If you're a pre-medical/dental/vet student, and you have the option to take regular calculus instead, then take it instead! I spend more time on this class than on microbiology or organic chemistry, both of which I'm taking and acing.

Lastly, besides the poor writing, this book is FULL of typos. It make the subject even harder, because the chapters don't cover all the concepts that are in the homework problems... so if there's an examble problem with a wrong answer, which there frequently is, then you'll get screwed up! I'm embarassed for the publisher... they've written so many other better math texts.

F-. Poorly written, a difficult read, spelling errors , and typos in the answers!