Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-5c6d5d7d68-wtssw Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-08-10T00:38:00.451Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
This chapter is part of a book that is no longer available to purchase from Cambridge Core

3.2 - Mathematical Biology Taught to a Mixed Audience at the Sophomore Level

from Chapter 3 - Papers on Special Topics

By
Janet Andersen
Edited by
Richard J. Maher
Janet Andersen
Affiliation:
Hope College
Richard J. Maher
Affiliation:
Loyola University Chicago
Get access

Summary

Introduction

The interface of mathematics and biology is an exciting area of research and an opportunity for changes in the curriculum. Funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the National Institute for Health are exploring or initiating programs to support this interface. Biology 2010, a report published by the National Research Council, delineates a curriculum for biology majors that is more mathematically intensive than what currently exists at most institutions. Talks related to mathematical biology can now be found at almost all national and regional MAA meetings.

At this point in time, most mathematical biology courses are either modelling courses designed for upper-level mathematics majors or lower level courses (typically with minimal mathematics prerequisites) designed for biology majors. Examples of textbooks used for such courses include Mathematical Models in Biology by Leah Edelstein-Keshet, Mathematical Biology by J.D. Murray, Mathematical Models in Population Biology and Epidemiology by Fred Brauer and Carlos Castillo-Chávez, Understanding Non-linear Dynamics by Daniel Kaplan and Leon Glass, Population Biology by Alan Hastings, and A Course in Mathematical Modeling by Douglas Mooney and Randall Swift.

At Hope College, we chose to take a different approach. With the support of a National Science Foundation grant (NSF-DUE 0089021), we developed a team-taught mathematical biology course targeted at a mixed audience of mathematics and biology majors. The prerequisite for the mathematics students is completion of a linear algebra and differential equations course while the prerequisite for the biology students is completion of a sophomore-level course on ecology and evolutionary biology plus first semester calculus.

Type
Chapter
Information
Innovative Approaches to Undergraduate Mathematics Courses Beyond Calculus , pp. 127 - 132
Publisher: Mathematical Association of America
Print publication year: 2005

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×