The Physics of Evolution

by Michael W. Roth

Overview

This book provides an introduction to the significant role of physics in evolution, based on the ideas of matter and energy resource flow, organism self-copying, and ecological change. The text employs these ideas to create quantitative models for important evolutionary processes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032489070
Publisher:	CRC Press
Publication date:	06/06/2023
Pages:	170
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

After getting a PhD in physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Michael Roth was inspired by Richard Dawkins’ The Blind Watchmaker and the study of evolution became a nearly lifelong interest for him. Following a postdoc at Fermilab, he joined The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHUAPL) where he served in many scientific leadership roles until retirement. He has major publications in several fields including theoretical physics, geophysics, neural networks (aka deep learning), biophysics, and instrumentation. He was a Co-Chairman for several conferences. He has also served as a JHUAPL group supervisor and as the Book Review Editor and Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks. After retirement from JHUAPL, he devoted his time to his longtime interest in evolution.

Table of Contents

1. Fundamentals Chapter 2. Fertility 3. Scavengers 4. Predators 5. Arms Races 6. Trophic Cascades 7. Parasites and Pathogens 8. Serengeti 9. Summary Discussion Appendix A. Density-Dependent Regulation Appendix B. Selection Theorem Proofs