The topic of the book a theory of functional biology thatincorporates the fundamental principles underlying the functioning ofliving organisms is clearly appropriate as we celebrate the 50thanniversary of the discovery by Watson and Crick of the structure ofthe DNA molecule.

The topic of the book — a theory of functional biology that incorporates the fundamental principles underlying the functioning of living organisms — is clearly appropriate as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the discovery by Watson and Crick of the structure of the DNA molecule. 'The Mathematical Nature of the Living World: The Power of Integration' is here to remind us that the world of biology is anchored in the world of mathematics and physics, and that, to understand the living world, we need to incorporate the laws of the nonliving matter. In particular, an important emphasis of the book concerns the relationships between structure and function, a point so well illustrated by the work of Watson and Crick. A nice aspect of Chauvet's book is that he does place his work and his approach in a general framework and historical background of the work performed by pioneers in a variety of fields ranging from physics to biology. As such, the book should be of general interest to a wide range of readers, from college students interested in integrating biology with physics and mathematics, to general readers curious to know more about the differences between the living world and the nonliving matter, to professional scientists and teachers concerned with more specific questions regarding relationships between structure and function in biology.

Until the middle of this century, it was completely unclear whether life had any kind of inorganic basis. The discovery of the first secret of life, the molecular structure of DNA, solved that particular riddle.

"It appears to us that the universe is structured in a deeply mathematical way. Falling bodies fall with predictable accelerations. Eclipses can be accurately forecast centuries in advance. Nuclear power plants generate electricity according to well-known formulas. But those examples are the tip of the iceberg. In Nature's Numbers, Ian Stewart presents many more, each charming in its own way.. Stewart admirably captures compelling and accessible mathematical ideas along with the pleasure of thinking of them. He writes with clarity and precision. Those who enjoy this sort of thing will love this book."—Los Angeles Times

IT changes everyday’s life, especially in education and medicine. The goal of ITME 2013 is to further explore the theoretical and practical issues of IT in education and medicine. It also aims to foster new ideas and collaboration between researchers and practitioners.

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How heavy is that cloud? Why can you see farther in rain than in fog? Why are the droplets on that spider web spaced apart so evenly? If you have ever asked questions like these while outdoors, and wondered how you might figure out the answers, this is a book for you. An entertaining and informative collection of fascinating puzzles from the natural world around us, A Mathematical Nature Walk will delight anyone who loves nature or math or both. John Adam presents ninety-six questions about many common natural phenomena--and a few uncommon ones--and then shows how to answer them using mostly basic mathematics. Can you weigh a pumpkin just by carefully looking at it? Why can you see farther in rain than in fog? What causes the variations in the colors of butterfly wings, bird feathers, and oil slicks? And why are large haystacks prone to spontaneous combustion? These are just a few of the questions you'll find inside. Many of the problems are illustrated with photos and drawings, and the book also has answers, a glossary of terms, and a list of some of the patterns found in nature. About a quarter of the questions can be answered with arithmetic, and many of the rest require only precalculus. But regardless of math background, readers will learn from the informal descriptions of the problems and gain a new appreciation of the beauty of nature and the mathematics that lies behind it.