Mathematical biology is the use of mathematical methods to formulate and analyze models of biological systems. Its tools include differential equations, recurrence equations, probability, and dynamical systems. Questions include how populations grow and interact, how an infection spreads, and how spatial patterns develop (Murray 2002).
Examples include the logistic equation for population growth, the Lotka-Volterra equations for predator-prey interactions, and the Kermack-McKendrick model for epidemics. The fixed points and their stability help describe the possible long-term behavior of these models.
