An early debate in mathematical biology and its value for teaching: Rashevsky's 1934 paper on cell division (Q2400833)

The paper deals with {\parindent=0,7cm \begin{itemize}\item[1)] \textit{N. Rashevsky}'s 1934 paper on cell division [``Physico-mathematical aspects of cellular multiplication and development''; in: Proceedings of the Cold Spring Harbor symposia of quantitative biology. II. Long Island, NY: Cold Spring Harbor. 188--198 (1934; \url{doi:10.1101/SQB.1934.002.01.024 })]; \item[2)] its reception and mutual controversies with biologists, then, later, the state of the art in our days; \item[3)] a survey of, how modern students deal with thinking and constructing about modelling in mathematics in biology; especially results as such, obtained by the author and the students of Roskilde (Denmark) have been dealt with in this paper; \item[4)] a full biography of Rashevsky, his work in biology, etc. \end{itemize}} This paper is very conclusive, containing a lot of things to be learned, and written very well. Students and biological scientists should take knowledge of this paper, as it presents the fundamental issue how mathematical modeling works, how it is received by the workers in applied sciences (biology, physics, chemistry, but here mainly in biology), the rising of controversies, and addresses difficulties arising for freshmen students in dealing with mathematical modelling.