The Mathematical Biosciences Institute (MBI) is an interdisciplinary research institute based at The Ohio State University. It focuses on the application of mathematical techniques and methods to solve problems in the biological sciences. The institute aims to foster collaboration between mathematicians, biologists, and other scientists to advance understanding in areas such as ecology, evolutionary biology, epidemiology, and systems biology.
Biotic interchange refers to the process through which different species of organisms (flora and fauna) migrate and establish themselves in new geographical areas, often resulting in the exchange of species between ecosystems. This phenomenon can occur due to various factors such as changes in climate, continental drift, human activities, or the formation of land bridges.
The Paradox of Enrichment is a concept in ecology that describes a situation in which increasing the productivity or nutrient levels of an ecosystem can lead to a decline in biodiversity and even the stability of certain species populations. This counterintuitive phenomenon was first articulated by ecologist John T. Curtis in the context of predator-prey dynamics. In a simplified model, consider a predator-prey system where an increase in food resources (enriching the environment) allows prey populations to grow.
"Relativity" is a famous lithograph created by the Dutch artist M.C. Escher in 1953. The artwork is known for its intricate and impossible architectural constructions that challenge the viewer's perception of reality. In "Relativity," Escher depicts a world where different gravity orientations coexist, allowing figures to walk on multiple planes and surfaces that appear to defy the laws of physics. The composition includes staircases that lead nowhere and figures that interact in seemingly impossible ways.
The Binomial Options Pricing Model (BOPM) is a widely used method for valuing options, which are financial derivatives that give the holder the right (but not the obligation) to buy or sell an underlying asset at a specified price before a specified expiration date. The model was introduced by Cox, Ross, and Rubinstein in 1979 and is based on a discrete-time framework.
Vito Volterra was an Italian mathematician, born on May 3, 1860, and died on October 11, 1940. He is best known for his contributions to mathematics, particularly in the fields of integral equations, functional analysis, and mathematical biology. One of his significant contributions is the development of the Volterra integral equations, which are used to describe various physical phenomena.
The Webster equation is a mathematical model used in acoustics, particularly in the field of speech and hearing, to describe the propagation of sound waves in a tube-like structure. It is particularly applicable to the study of how sound travels through the vocal tract, which can be approximated as a series of cylindrical sections.
The Swallow's Tail is a type of kite and a mathematical shape, often referenced in different contexts. Here are a few explanations of what The Swallow's Tail might refer to: 1. **Mathematics**: In geometry, the Swallow's Tail is a type of differential surface that is shaped like the tail of a swallow. It is described by specific mathematical equations and is known for its unique curvature and properties.
The Kuratowski closure axioms are a set of foundational properties that define closure operations in a topological space. These axioms provide a formal framework for understanding how closure can be characterized in the context of topology. The closure of a set, denoted as \( \overline{A} \), can be thought of as the smallest closed set containing \( A \), or equivalently, the set of all limit points of \( A \) along with the points in \( A \).
Ecological stability refers to the capacity of an ecosystem to maintain its structure, composition, and function over time, despite external disturbances or changes in environmental conditions. It encompasses various aspects, including: 1. **Resistance**: This is the ability of an ecosystem to withstand disturbances without undergoing significant changes in its structure or functioning. A resistant ecosystem can absorb shocks and remain relatively unchanged. 2. **Resilience**: Resilience refers to the speed and capacity of an ecosystem to recover after a disturbance.
A mathematical chess problem refers to a type of puzzle or scenario involving chess that emphasizes logical reasoning, combinatorial analysis, or algorithmic strategies rather than the traditional gameplay aspects of chess. These problems can take various forms, such as: 1. **Chess Puzzles**: These often present a specific position on the board and require the solver to find the best move or series of moves, usually leading to checkmate in a specified number of moves.
Robert H. MacArthur (1930-1972) was an influential American ecologist known for his pioneering work in the field of ecology and biogeography. He is perhaps best recognized for his contributions to the development of the theory of island biogeography, which he co-developed with Edward O. Wilson. This theory explains the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of island species, suggesting that the number of species on an island is determined by the balance between immigration and extinction rates.
Economic theorems are fundamental propositions or principles in economics that are derived from a set of assumptions and are supported by logical reasoning or empirical evidence. These theorems provide insights into how economic agents behave, how markets function, and how various economic phenomena are interrelated.
The Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS) is a model used in economics to analyze consumer demand for goods and services. It was introduced by economists Angus Deaton and John Muellbauer in 1980. The AIDS model is particularly valued for its flexibility and ability to approximate a wide range of demand systems while maintaining desirable properties such as adding up, homogeneity, and symmetry.
The elasticity of a function measures how sensitive the output of that function is to changes in its input. In economics, for instance, elasticity is commonly used to assess how quantity demanded or supplied responds to changes in price. Mathematically, the elasticity \(E\) of a function \(f(x)\) with respect to \(x\) is defined as the percentage change in the output \(f(x)\) divided by the percentage change in the input \(x\).
The Maximum Theorem is a concept in mathematical optimization and economic theory that relates to the conditions under which certain types of maximum or minimum values occur. While the term can have different meanings in different contexts, it is most commonly associated with the study of utility functions in economics and the optimization of functions under certain constraints. In the context of economics, the Maximum Theorem often refers to results concerning the maximization of utility by consumers or firms.
The St. Petersburg paradox is a famous problem in probability theory and decision theory that highlights the conflict between expected value and practical decision-making. It was formulated by Daniel Bernoulli in 1738. The setup of the paradox is as follows: A player participates in a game where a fair coin is flipped repeatedly until it lands on heads. The pot starts at $2 and doubles with each flip of tails.
Adjusted current yield is a financial metric used to assess the yield of a bond or fixed-income investment, taking into account certain adjustments beyond the standard current yield. The current yield is calculated as the annual coupon payment divided by the current market price of the bond.
Pinned article: Introduction to the OurBigBook Project
Welcome to the OurBigBook Project! Our goal is to create the perfect publishing platform for STEM subjects, and get university-level students to write the best free STEM tutorials ever.
Everyone is welcome to create an account and play with the site: ourbigbook.com/go/register. We belive that students themselves can write amazing tutorials, but teachers are welcome too. You can write about anything you want, it doesn't have to be STEM or even educational. Silly test content is very welcome and you won't be penalized in any way. Just keep it legal!
Intro to OurBigBook
. Source. We have two killer features:
- topics: topics group articles by different users with the same title, e.g. here is the topic for the "Fundamental Theorem of Calculus" ourbigbook.com/go/topic/fundamental-theorem-of-calculusArticles of different users are sorted by upvote within each article page. This feature is a bit like:
- a Wikipedia where each user can have their own version of each article
- a Q&A website like Stack Overflow, where multiple people can give their views on a given topic, and the best ones are sorted by upvote. Except you don't need to wait for someone to ask first, and any topic goes, no matter how narrow or broad
This feature makes it possible for readers to find better explanations of any topic created by other writers. And it allows writers to create an explanation in a place that readers might actually find it.Figure 1. Screenshot of the "Derivative" topic page. View it live at: ourbigbook.com/go/topic/derivativeVideo 2. OurBigBook Web topics demo. Source. - local editing: you can store all your personal knowledge base content locally in a plaintext markup format that can be edited locally and published either:This way you can be sure that even if OurBigBook.com were to go down one day (which we have no plans to do as it is quite cheap to host!), your content will still be perfectly readable as a static site.
- to OurBigBook.com to get awesome multi-user features like topics and likes
- as HTML files to a static website, which you can host yourself for free on many external providers like GitHub Pages, and remain in full control
Figure 3. Visual Studio Code extension installation.Figure 4. Visual Studio Code extension tree navigation.Figure 5. Web editor. You can also edit articles on the Web editor without installing anything locally.Video 3. Edit locally and publish demo. Source. This shows editing OurBigBook Markup and publishing it using the Visual Studio Code extension.Video 4. OurBigBook Visual Studio Code extension editing and navigation demo. Source. - Infinitely deep tables of contents:
All our software is open source and hosted at: github.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook
Further documentation can be found at: docs.ourbigbook.com
Feel free to reach our to us for any help or suggestions: docs.ourbigbook.com/#contact





