CMSA

The mathematics of evolution
2024-11-04 16:30 - 17:30 (America/New_York) | CMSA Room G10, CMSA, 20 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
Colloquium
Speaker: Martin Nowak (Harvard)
Title: The mathematics of evolution
Abstract: All living systems are guided by evolutionary dynamics. Evolution is a search process which occurs in populations of reproducing individuals. The three fundamental forces of evolution are mutation, selection and cooperation. I will present basic ideas in the mathematical description of evolutionary dynamics, including quasi-species theory, evolutionary game theory, and evolutionary graph theory. I will discuss specific problems such as origin of life, emergence of complexity, mechanisms of cooperation, evolution of cancer and how to overcome resistance to targeted therapy.
