An Unlikely Bond

BOOK REVIEW

                                                                                      ____

The Mathematics of Life

Ian Stewart

Basic Books, 2010

US $27.99, 360 pages

ISBN: 978-0-465-02238-0

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               The title itself is indeed intriguing to anyone and might really interest a person to read this book. Imagine connecting two “hard core subjects” in one piece of work. Well, that might just get one’s nose to bleed. I never been fond of both biology and mathematics but this did not hinder me to read this book. I know that as a student (especially in food technology), it is my responsibility to update myself of the latest happenings in these fields and acquire new knowledge regarding those. One thing also that uplifted my curiosity was the resource speaker that talked about the same subject matter too in our class. I was amazed as how she had gone far in using mathematics to uncover the answers to the most complicated scientific problems in our world.

            As I read through Stewart’s masterpiece, I found out that most of Stewart’s discussions were based on the five great revolutions that affected the point of views of scientists with regards to life. These were the microscope, classification, evolution, genetics, and the structure of DNA. Stewart emphasizes that the sixth is not to be ignored for it is constantly improving. It is mathematics.

            I then began to wonder how mathematics can be strongly linked to biology. Stewart explains that the application of mathematics in biology had gone a long range staring from the works of Sir Ronald Fisher, Sewell G. Wright (an American geneticist), and John B. S. Haldane on theoretical population genetics, which became fundamental foundations in this matter. Developments are still on going and lay on the hands of great scientists through time.

            It was also so impressive to learn how Stewart connected mathematical concepts like the golden ratio, the golden angle, and the Fibonacci sequence to the patterns in nature. Using some thorough research and rigid mathematical computations, scientists were able to calculate the divergence angles in what Stewart referred to as phyllotaxis or the arrangement of plant organs such as leaves, petals, branches, bracts, scales, and florets.

As I continued browsing the pages of the book, I noticed that mathematical models, figures, explanations and familiar formulas were scattered in the chapters of the book, but were too complex (most especially when accompanied with expounded conceptual ideas and many scientific terms) to be comprehended by just a mere student like me. Hence, I recommend that some interested and dedicated authors would make a much simpler and concise version of this book. Too much details and lots of information might cause confusion to the readers especially for those who are not so expert in both fields (which includes me). I advise readers both graduates and undergraduates in these fields of study to read more prior to reading this book, in order to relate more to its contents.

Generalizations, Reflections and Conclusions

            Truly, mathematics plays a huge part in the engineering of living things which include us, humans. Awareness on Stewart’s sixth revolution is vital and exciting for the future of these two major fields combined into one. How these two sciences inter-relate is indeed remarkable. This is a timely opportunity to produce rare students who are both as good in biology as well as in mathematics. As the essence of mathematics is more appreciated in this book, this gives a door to more useful applications of mathematics in uncovering and understanding the nature of life as well as lead to more beneficial developments in the near future.