Leon Glass - Böcker

This book deals with the application of mathematics in modeling and understanding physiological systems, especially those involving rhythms. It is divided roughly into two sections. In the first part of the book, the authors introduce ideas and techniques from nonlinear dynamics that are relevant to the analysis of biological rhythms. The second part consists of five in-depth case studies in which the authors use the theoretical tools developed earlier to investigate a number of physiological processes: the dynamics of excitable nerve and cardiac tissue, resetting and entrainment of biological oscillators, the effects of noise and time delay on the pupil light reflex, pathologies associated with blood cell replication, and Parkinsonian tremor. One novel feature of the book is the inclusion of classroom-tested computer exercises throughout, designed to form a bridge between the mathematical theory and physiological experiments. This book will be of interest to students and researchers in the natural and physical sciences wanting to learn about the complexities and subtleties of physiological systems from a mathematical perspective.The authors are members of the Centre for Nonlinear Dynamics in Physiology and Medicine. The material in this book was developed for use in courses and was presented in three Summer Schools run by the authors in Montreal.

This work presents the main concepts and applications of nonlinear dynamics at an elementary level. The book is based on a one-semester undergraduate course that has been given since 1975 at McGill University and has been constantly updated to keep up with current developments. Based on the authors' successful course for undergraduate students in the biological sciences, the primer presents the main concepts of non-linear dynamics at a level requiring only one year of calculus. Topics include finite difference equations, the concept of chaos, networks, cellular automata, one- and two-dimensional differential equations, the dynamics of non-linear equations, and linear stability analysis. Examples are all from the biological sciences, exercises are included in each chapter, and basic mathematical reviews are included in an appendix.

Mathematics is playing an ever more important role in the physical and biological sciences, provoking a blurring of boundaries between scientific disciplines and a resurgence of interest in the modern as well as the classical techniques of applied mathematics. This renewal of interest, both in research and teaching, has led to the establishment of the series: Texts in Applied Mathematics ( TAM). The development of new courses is a natural consequence of a high level of excitement on the research frontier as newer techniques, such as numerical and symbolic computer systems, dynamical systems, and chaos, mix with and reinforce the traditional methods of applied mathematics. Thus, the purpose of this textbook series is to meet the current and future needs of these advances and encourage the teaching of new courses. TAM will publish textbooks suitable for use in advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate courses, and will complement the Applied Mathematical Sciences (AMS) series, which will focus on advanced textbooks and research level monographs. About the Authors Daniel Kaplan specializes in the analysis of data using techniques motivated by nonlinear dynamics. His primary interest is in the interpretation of irregular physiological rhythms, but the methods he has developed have been used in geo­ physics, economics, marine ecology, and other fields. He joined McGill in 1991, after receiving his Ph.D from Harvard University and working at MIT. His un­ dergraduate studies were completed at Swarthmore College. He has worked with several instrumentation companies to develop novel types of medical monitors.

In an important new contribution to the literature of chaos, two distinguished researchers in the field of physiology probe central theoretical questions about physiological rhythms. Topics discussed include: How are rhythms generated? How do they start and stop? What are the effects of perturbation of the rhythms? How are oscillations organized in space? Leon Glass and Michael Mackey address an audience of biological scientists, physicians, physical scientists, and mathematicians, but the work assumes no knowledge of advanced mathematics. Variation of rhythms outside normal limits, or appearance of new rhythms where none existed previously, are associated with disease. One of the most interesting features of the book is that it makes a start at explaining "dynamical diseases" that are not the result of infection by pathogens but that stem from abnormalities in the timing of essential functions. From Clocks to Chaos provides a firm foundation for understanding dynamic processes in physiology.

Je tiens impossible de connaître les parties sans connaître le tout, non plus que de connaître le tout sans connaître particulierement les parties -Pascal The eterna[ mystery of the world is its comprehensibility -Einstein This book deals with the application of mathematical tools to the study of physiological systems. It is directed toward an audience of physiologists, physicians, physicists, kinesiologists, psychologists, engineers, mathemati­ cians, and others interested in finding out more about the complexities and subtleties of rhythmic physiological processes from a theoretical per­ spective. We have attempted to give a broad view of the underlying notions behind the dynamics of physiological rhythms, sometimes from a theoretical perspective and sometimes from the perspective of the experimentalist. This book can be used in a variety of ways, ranging from a more tra­ ditional approach such as a textbook in a biomathematics course (at either the advanced undergraduate or graduatelevel) to a research re­ source in which someone interested in a particular problem might look at the corresponding discussion here to guide their own thinking. We hope that researchers at all levels will find inspiration from the way we have dealt with particular research problems to tackle completely new areas of investigation, or even approach these in totally new ways.