Professor

Mathematics

University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Lincoln, NE)

I am interested in constructing mathematical models for biological systems in genetics, neurology, and ecology.

An anonymous quote attributed to Henrich Hertz summarizes my philosophy about mathematical modeling. It goes like this, 'mathematical modeling is to construct pictures so that the consequences of the pictures are the pictures of the consequences'. I believe that mathematics is driven by open problems but science is driven by existing solutions, and applied mathematics is to discover the mathematics to which nature fits as a solution. I also believe that all branches of science mature through mathematics. With respect to biology, I take as a postulate that life is driven to maximize its diversity with the shortest constraint in time. On any given day, I probably would think about problems ranging from genetics, or neurosciences, or ecology. Here are some of the questions my published work attempted to address: Why DNA are coded in 4 bases? Why 2 sexes? Why decimal system for arithmetics? What is the principle reason for the ecological diversity? How to construct a communication system between two neurons, and what is its best modes for the fastest transmission rate for such a system? There are other problems I wish I will have the time to write about in the future. That includes modeling cancer growth and treatment, demyelination of axon, and infectious diseases.