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The mathematics of evolution

CMSA EVENTS: CMSA COLLOQUIUM

When: November 4, 2024
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Where: CMSA, 20 Garden St, G10
Address: 20 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States
Speaker: Martin Nowak - Harvard University

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.