The respiratory system in equations (Q1931573)

Biology is an excellent source for mathematical ideas. This book models respiratory system using ordinary and partial differential equations. Chapter 1 gives a general presentation of the respiratory system. Lumped models based on a small number of parameters are presented in Chapter 2. This chapter is of central importance in this book, it can be read without any prior knowledge of the underlying phenomena, with a minimal mathematical background. Chapter 3 consists in addressing the tree-like structure of the respiratory tract. Chapter 4 gives an overview of the problems raised by attempting to model the motion of a fluid obeying the Navier-Stokes equations in an ``open'' domain, i.e., with inlet/outlet boundaries. This concerns the upper part of the respiratory system, where the so called Reynolds number, which quantifies the importance of inertial effects, is high. Chapter 5 presents various models studying the oxygen transfer from air to the blood. Different levels of description that balance between numerical tractability and accurate modeling of the underlying phenomena are proposed. Chapter 6 collects some developments that are a bit further from the modeling of the real lung. In particular, it investigates the possibility to define an infinite counterpart of the actual respiratory tract. This reviewer has some comments:{\parindent=0.6cm\begin{itemize}\item[(i)] In this book the balance between biological reality and mathematical modeling is tipped towards mathematics. \item[(ii)] This book is most suitable to postgraduate students.\item[(iii)] Basics of networks and fractals are not explained.\item[(iv)] A very good point of this book is the exercises with solution hints in the appendix. \end{itemize}} In general, this is a very good book on an extremely difficult topic.