Work

Lagrangians and Newtonian analogs for biological systems

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study investigates the potential for biological systems to be governed by a variational principle, suggesting that such systems may evolve to minimize or optimize specific quantities. To explore this idea, we focus on identifying Lagrange functions that can effectively model the dynamics of selected population systems. These functions provide a deeper understanding of population evolution by framing their behavior in terms of energy-like variables. We present an algorithm for generating Lagrangian functions applicable to a family of population dynamics models and demonstrate the equivalence between two-dimensional population models and a one-dimensional Newtonian mechanical analog. Furthermore, we explore the existence of conservation laws for these models, utilizing Noether’s theorems to investigate their implications.

Source: The European Physical Journal Plus

DOI: 10.1140/epjp/s13360-025-06078-6

Authors: Andronikos Paliathanasis, Kevin Duffy

Institutions: Durban University of Technology, Universidad Católica del Norte

Language: English

Topic: Mathematical and Theoretical Epidemiology and Ecology Models

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,890

Funder: Durban University of Technology