The Biology of Numbers The Correspondence of Vito Volterra on Mathem
Foreword The modern developments in mathematical biology took place roughly between 1920 and 1940, a period now referred to as the "Golden Age of Theoretical Biology". The eminent Italian mathematician Vito Volterra played a decisive and widely acknowledg
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dited by Eberhard Knobloch and Erhard Scholz Editorial Board: K. Andersen, Aarhus D. Barkan, Pasadena HJ.M. Bos, Utrecht U. Bottazzini, Roma J.Z. Buchwald, Cambridge, Mass. K. Chemla, Paris S.S. Demidov, Moskva E. A. Fellmann, Basel M. Folkerts, München P. Galison, Cambridge, Mass. I. Grattan-Guinness, London J. Gray, Milton Keynes
R. Halleux, Liege S. Hildebrandt, Bonn Ch. Meinel, Regensburg J. Peiffer, Paris W. Purkert, Leipzig D. Rowe, Mainz A.I. Sabra, Cambridge, Mass. Ch. Sasaki, Tokyo R.H. Stuewer, Minneapolis H. Wußing, Leipzig V.P. Vizgin, Moskva
Springer Basel AG
Giorgio Israel Ana Millän Gasca
The Biology of Numbers The Correspondence of Vito Volterra on Mathematical Biology
Springer Basel AG
Authors' addresses: Giorgio Israel Dipartimento di Matematica Universitä di Roma "La Sapienza" Piazzale Aldo Moro, 2 1-00185 Roma email: giorgio.israel@uniroma1 .it
Ana Millän Gasca Viale dei Promontori 278 1-00122 Roma e-mail: [email protected]
This publication has been made possible by the financial support of the grant Confinanziamento MURST 1999.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress, Washington D.C, USA Deutsche Bibliothek Cataloging-in-Publication Data Israel, Giorgio: The biology of numbers : the correspondence of Vito Volterra on mathematical biology / Giorgio Israel; Ana Millän Gasca. - Basel; Boston ; Berlin : Birkhäuser, 2002 ISBN 978-3-0348-9447-0 ISBN 978-3-0348-8123-4 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-0348-8123-4
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, re-use of illustrations, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in other ways, and storage in data banks. For any kind of use whatsoever, permission of the copyright owner must be obtained. ©2002 Springer Basel AG Originally published by Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel • Boston • Berlin 2002 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2002 Member of the BertelsmannSpringer Publishing Group Cover design: Micha Lotrovsky, CH-4106 Therwil, Switzerland Cover illustration: Vito Volterra Layout: wiskom, D-88046 Friedrichshafen Printed on acid-free paper produced from chlorine-free pulp. TCF «> ISBN 978-3-0348-9447-0 987 6 5432 1
To Alberto
I myself, who unfortunately am unable to judge your magisterial mathematical work, am astonished by the brilliant ideas you have introduced in the biology of numbers. (Jean Regnier to Vito Volterra)
Foreword
VII
Foreword
The modern developments in mathematical biology took place roughly between 1920 and 1940, a period now referred to as the "Golden Age of Theoretical Biology". The eminent Italian mathematician Vito Volterra played a decisive and widely acknowledged role in these developments. Volterra's interest in the application of mathematics to the non physical sciences, and to biology and economics in particular, dates back to the turn of the century and was expressed in his inaugural address at the University of Rome for the academic year
