A quest towards a mathematical theory of living systems (Q2360236)

In this comprehensive, overarching book, the authors fruitfully propose and explore paradigms leading to a mathematical theory of living systems, drawing from their own extensive research activity, which spans over two decades. The focus is on understanding the interplay between mathematics and the dynamics of living systems and on developing new methods, structures and guidelines to deal to the complexity of the latter. One of the main theses is that the mechanistic approaches commonly used to deal with the dynamics of inanimate systems cannot describe adequately the systems of concern in this book, namely large systems of living entities, or ``active particles'', able to express a strategy called ``activity'' which heterogeneously differs from particle to particle. The approach of this book is qualitative and pragmatic, a clear and engaging presentational style leading swiftly to well-defined objectives stated ahead of time. Five key questions are brought to the attention of the reader in the first chapter, the answers to those questions motivating and shaping the content of the whole book. Three of those questions refer to identifying the most relevant complexity features of living systems, to whether or not appropriate mathematical structures can be derived to capture those features and to how mathematical models can be related to these features. The remaining two questions refer to how the models can be validated and to whether or not rare events, called ``Black Swans'', can be predicted by them, and to identifying conceptual paths to be pursued in search for a comprehensive mathematical theory of living systems. In the first chapter, the most relevant complexity features of living systems are identified as being the large number of components, ability to express a strategy, heterogeneity, behavioral stochastic rules, nonlinear interactions, learning ability, Darwinian mutations and selection, multiscale aspects (spatial and temporal) and emerging behaviors. This represents an answer to the first key question. It is argued that, although additional features can be identified, this selection retains all essential aspects, while keeping the complexity of the models under control. A rationale towards the modelling approach is also provided. Chapter 2 provides an introduction to the mathematical kinetic theory of classical particles, with an emphasis on the Boltzmann equation and of its generalizations (discrete velocity Boltzmann equation, Enskog equation and Vlasov equation). A discussion of computational methods to solve kinetic equations is then given, focusing on Monte Carlo methods, which emerge as being the most appropriate computational tool for this specific purpose. The chapter ends with a critical analysis of the drawbacks of the kinetic theory when applied to the modelling of living systems. The second key question is answered in Chapter 3. The objective of this chapter is to derive general structures suitable to model the complexities of living systems. The main focus is on networks consisting of interconnected nodes, the particles in each node being grouped into functional subsystems. The mathematical structures derived in this chapter can be regarded as a general framework for conceivable models and differ from the classical kinetic theory. It is then observed how these structures retain the complexity features outlined in Chapter 1. Chapter 4, the last one devoted mostly to constructing the modelling framework, links the theoretical structures of Chapter 3 to the applications to follow in Chapters 5 and 6, and proposes preliminary answers to the third and fourth questions, further remarks on these matters being made in the latter chapters. A motivation for the selection of case studies is given along with a strategy for model validation, which outlines the requirements that a valid model should fulfill. Chapter 5 presents an application of the previously constructed abstract framework to the modelling of social behavioral dynamics. First, the authors revisit the analysis of complexity features of living systems and particularize it to the case of social systems. The hallmarks of a systems theory of social systems are then presented, along with a rationale towards a systems approach. A specialization is made for the dynamics of criminality in urban areas, the modelling of Darwinian dynamics appearing in the competitive interaction between cancer cells and the immune system being given as an additional illustration. Chapter 6 focuses on the mathematical modelling of crowd dynamics, the general perspective being that of multicellular systems which move and interact in space. After arguing that the dynamics of a crowd cannot simply follow mechanistic and deterministic causality principles, but rather accounts for the heterogeneous behaviors of pedestrians, the main features of behavioral crowds are introduced, along with principles for scaling and representation at the three classic scales (microscale, mesoscale and macroscale). Numerical simulations are carried out using a particle method which resembles the direct simulation Monte Carlo method. The modelling of swarms, which possess the additional ability to express collective intelligence and learning patterns, is presented as a further application. Chapter 7 presents a critical analysis of the content of the preceding chapters, along with an overview of multiscale methods, several thoughts on the conceptual differences between hard sciences and soft sciences and a list of open problems to motivate further research. This book, which is a singularly captivating endeavour, is as much about modelling as it is about metamodelling. It has a broad horizon, referring to immunological, biological, ecological and social systems and bringing them under the same theoretical, unifying roof. A large, representative and diverse body of work is surveyed, often along with a critical, comparative analysis, which makes this book a rich and valuable source of information about the state-of-the art in the modelling of nonlinear complex systems. The presentation is self-contained, no further mathematical tools apart from those detailed and explained inside being necessary. The mathematical scaffolding supports the presentation, but does not overtake it, which makes the book as suitable for social scientists, biologists, ecologists, or for other natural scientists willing to investigate the complexity of living systems via a quantitative approach, as it is for mathematicians who are willing to acquire stronger modelling foundations.