Skip to main content
Log in

Outline of a new mathematical approach to general biology: II

  • Published:
The bulletin of mathematical biophysics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this continuation of a previous paper another formal principle is added, similar in its form to Hamilton's principle in mechanics, and based on a mathematical formulation of a postulate, stated by A. J. Lotka, namely that the events in the living world are determined by the requirement of the maximum of the totalflow of energy.

The principle is applied to a wide number of biological phenomena, including paleontologic development, relations between death and birth rates of organisms, ontology, cell division, etc.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature

  • Lotka, A. J. 1922a. “Contributions to the Energetics of Evolution”.Proc. Nat. Acad.,8, 146–151.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lotka, A. J. 1922b. “Natural Selection as a Physical Principle”.Proc. Nat. Acad.,8, 151–154.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rashevsky, N. 1941. “A Note on the Nature of Correlations Between Different Characteristics of Organisms”.Bull. Math. Biophysics,3, 93–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rashevsky, N. 1942. “Contributions to the Mathematical Theory of Human Relations: V”.Psychometrika,7, 117–134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Volterra, V. 1931.Leçons sur la Theorie Mathematique de la lutte pour la vie. Paris: Gauthiers-Villars.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whittaker, E. T. 1927.A Treatise on the Analytical Dynamics of Particles and Rigid Bodies. The University Press: Cambridge.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Zipff, G. 1935.The Psycho-Biology of Language. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rashevsky, N. Outline of a new mathematical approach to general biology: II. Bulletin of Mathematical Biophysics 5, 49–64 (1943). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02478014

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02478014

Keywords

Navigation