Effective Fall 2013
MATH 105-<section #>
Introduction to Mathematical Models in Biology
<quarter, year>
<Days,Time, Location>
Instructor:
Office hours: <office hours and location>
Tutorial center hours: <tutorial center hours and location>
Office phone: <only if you have an actual office>
Tutorial center phone: 323-343-5374
Email:
Final Exam: <date, time, location>
Text: Mathematics for the Life Sciences – A Modeling Approach
Volume I Discrete Dynamical Models (ISBN10: 1269528092; ISBN13: 9781269528092)
The text is a custom edition and is available at the bookstore and the Bookmart
Math 105 Prerequisites: MATH 104A with minimum grade of C or satisfactory score on Math 104A
exit exam. Rudimentary knowledge of Microsoft Excel.
Math 105 Catalog course description: Sinusoidal, exponential and logarithmic functions in a
biological context. Formulation and analysis of basic discrete models in biology. Basic probability,
including conditional probability and independence. Eigenvalues and eigenvectors of matrices.
Intended for life-science majors.
Topical outline:
Overview of the modeling process; linear models and least square analysis; units conversion; error
computation; review of polynomial, exponential, and logarithmic functions in biological context;
allometric models; trigonometric functions and oscillations; discrete-time linear and non-linear models;
analysis of discrete time models; basic probability theory; independence and Bayes’ Theorem.
Student learning outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
 understand the modeling process
 be familiar with basic functions used in biological models, such as linear, exponential, logarithmic,
and sine/cosine
 know how to convert units
 be able to fit a function to data and compute error
 be able to formulate a simple discrete-time model and analyze its behavior for the equilibrium
values
 be familiar with some basic biological models
 know basic probability theory, including conditional probability and independence
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Effective Fall 2013
Grading system: <indicate your grading system>
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