PHZ4710 - Introduction to Biological Physics

This course is for advanced undergraduate students looking for basic training in biological physics. The field of biological physics has evolved to encompass diverse topics ranging from molecular to ecological scales. These topics are studied using quantitative methods that have become standard in the field, yet are not part of the traditional curriculum. This course provides an overview of such methods and their applications in biological physics. We will learn to use these methods by doing exercises that involve computation and programming.

New!

Video lectures now available (Chapters 6, 7, 8)

Prerequisites

One year of introductory physics (PHY 2053/2054, PHY 2048/2049, or the equivalent) and one year of calculus (MAC 2311/2312 or the equivalent). Some experience in programming would be helpful (Python, MatLab, etc.); a quick tutorial will be given at the beginning of the course.

See also

Tutorials on Python programming and computational methods: Computational Methods for Physics

Table of Content

• 0. What is Biological Physics?
• 1. Diffusion vs. Navigation
• 2. Probability and Statistics
• 3. Stochastic Processes
• 4. Reaction Kinetics
• 5. Dynamical Systems
• 6. Neural Networks
• 7. Data Analyses
• 8. Information and Strategy