Calculating the Secrets of Life: Contributions of the Mathematical Sciences to Molecular Biology - Hardcover

Committee On The Mathematical Sciences In Genome And ProteinStructure Research; National Research Council; Division On Engineering And Physical Sciences; Commission On Physical Sciences, Mathematics, And Applications

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0309048869 ISBN 13: 9780309048866

Publisher: National Academies Press, 1995

Synopsis

As researchers have pursued biology's secrets to the molecular level, mathematical and computer sciences have played an increasingly important role—in genome mapping, population genetics, and even the controversial search for "Eve," hypothetical mother of the human race.

In this first-ever survey of the partnership between the two fields, leading experts look at how mathematical research and methods have made possible important discoveries in biology.

The volume explores how differential geometry, topology, and differential mechanics have allowed researchers to "wind" and "unwind" DNA's double helix to understand the phenomenon of supercoiling. It explains how mathematical tools are revealing the workings of enzymes and proteins. And it describes how mathematicians are detecting echoes from the origin of life by applying stochastic and statistical theory to the study of DNA sequences.

This informative and motivational book will be of interest to researchers, research administrators, and educators and students in mathematics, computer sciences, and biology.

About this title

About the Author

Eric S. Lander and Michael S. Waterman, Editors; Committee on the Mathematical Sciences in Genome and Protein Structure Research, National Research Council

Review

As researchers have pursued biology's secrets to the molecular level, mathematical and computer sciences have played an increasingly important role - in genome mapping, population genetics, and even the controversial search for "Eve", hypothetical mother of the human race. Calculating the Secrets of Life is a survey of the partnership between the two fields, wherein leading experts look at how mathematical research and methods have made possible important discoveries in biology. The volume explores how differential geometry, topology, and differential mechanics have allowed researchers to "wind" and "unwind" DNA's double helix to understand the phenomenon of supercoiling. It explains how mathematical tools are revealing the workings of enzymes and proteins. And it describes how mathematicians are detecting echoes from the origin of life by applying stochastic and statistical theory to the study of DNA sequences. This informative and motivational book will be of interest to researchers, research administrators, educators, students, and armchair biologists. -- Midwest Book Review

Edition details

• Publisher: National Academies Press
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0309048869
• ISBN 13: 9780309048866
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 300
• Editor: Michael S. Waterman, Eric S. Lander