The aim of this volume is to explain some of the biology and the computational and mathematical challenges with the modeling and simulation of biological networks. The different chapters provide examples of how these challenges are met, with particular emphasis on nontraditional mathematical approaches. The volume features a broad spectrum of networks across scales, ranging from biochemical networks within a single cell to epidemiological networks encompassing whole cities. Also, this volume is broad in the range of mathematical tools used in solving problems involving these networks.

A practice-oriented survey of techniques for computational modeling and simulation suitable for a broad range of biological problems. There are many excellent computational biology resources now available for learning about methods that have been developed to address specific biological systems, but comparatively little attention has been paid to training aspiring computational biologists to handle new and unanticipated problems. This text is intended to fill that gap by teaching students how to reason about developing formal mathematical models of biological systems that are amenable to computational analysis. It collects in one place a selection of broadly useful models, algorithms, and theoretical analysis tools normally found scattered among many other disciplines. It thereby gives the aspiring student a bag of tricks that will serve him or her well in modeling problems drawn from numerous subfields of biology. These techniques are taught from the perspective of what the practitioner needs to know to use them effectively, supplemented with references for further reading on more advanced use of each method covered. The text, which grew out of a class taught at Carnegie Mellon University, covers models for optimization, simulation and sampling, and parameter tuning. These topics provide a general framework for learning how to formulate mathematical models of biological systems, what techniques are available to work with these models, and how to fit the models to particular systems. Their application is illustrated by many examples drawn from a variety of biological disciplines and several extended case studies that show how the methods described have been applied to real problems in biology.

It is the task of computational biology to help elucidate the unique characteristics of biological systems. This process has barely begun, and many researchers are testing computational tools that have been used successfully in other fields. Mathematical and statistical network modeling is an important step toward uncovering the organizational principles and dynamic behavior of biological networks. Undoubtedly, new mathematical tools will be needed, however, to meet this challenge. The workhorse of this effort at present comprises the standard tools from applied mathematics, which have proven to be successful for many problems. But new areas of mathematics not traditionally considered applicable are contributing other powerful tools. This volume is intended to introduce this topic to a broad mathematical audience. The aim is to explain some of the biology and the computational and mathematical challenges we are facing. The different chapters provide examples of how these challenges are met, with particular emphasis on nontraditional mathematical approaches.The volume features a broad spectrum of networks across scales, ranging from biochemical networks within a single cell to epidemiological networks encompassing whole cities. Chapter topics include phylogenetics and gene finding using tools from statistics and algebraic geometry, biochemical network inference using tools from computational algebra, control-theoretic approaches to drug delivery using differential equations, and interaction-based modeling and discrete mathematics applied to problems in population dynamics and epidemiology.

This book presents a range of current research topics in biological network modeling, as well as its application in studies on human hosts, pathogens, and diseases. Systems biology is a rapidly expanding field that involves the study of biological systems through the mathematical modeling and analysis of large volumes of biological data. Gathering contributions from renowned experts in the field, some of the topics discussed in depth here include networks in systems biology, the computational modeling of multidrug-resistant bacteria, and systems biology of cancer. Given its scope, the book is intended for researchers, advanced students, and practitioners of systems biology. The chapters are research-oriented, and present some of the latest findings on their respective topics.

This book is intended for students of computational systems biology with only a limited background in mathematics. Typical books on systems biology merely mention algorithmic approaches, but without offering a deeper understanding. On the other hand, mathematical books are typically unreadable for computational biologists. The authors of the present book have worked hard to fill this gap. The result is not a book on systems biology, but on computational methods in systems biology. This book originated from courses taught by the authors at Freie Universität Berlin. The guiding idea of the courses was to convey those mathematical insights that are indispensable for systems biology, teaching the necessary mathematical prerequisites by means of many illustrative examples and without any theorems. The three chapters cover the mathematical modelling of biochemical and physiological processes, numerical simulation of the dynamics of biological networks and identification of model parameters by means of comparisons with real data. Throughout the text, the strengths and weaknesses of numerical algorithms with respect to various systems biological issues are discussed. Web addresses for downloading the corresponding software are also included.

"This book introduces Higher Order Neural Networks (HONNs) to computer scientists and computer engineers as an open box neural networks tool when compared to traditional artificial neural networks"--Provided by publisher.