Mathematics Prospects and Future

P Kandaswamy
pgkswamy@yahoo.co.in

Many mathematical principles are based on

ideals, and apply to an abstract, perfect world. This
perfect world of mathematics is reflected in the
imperfect physical world, such as in the
approximate symmetry of a face divided by an axis
along the nose. More symmetrical faces are
generally regarded as more aesthetically pleasing.
Mathematics might seem an ugly and irrelevant
subject at high school, but it's ultimately the study
of truth - and truth is beauty! You might be
surprised to find that mathematics is in everything
in nature from rabbits to seashells

Fibonacci's Rabbits
Let's look first at the Rabbit Puzzle that Fibonacci
wrote about and then at two adaptations of it to make it
more realistic. This introduces you to the Fibonacci
Number series and the simple definition of the whole
never-ending series.

Suppose a newly-born pair of rabbits, one male,

one female, are put in a field. Rabbits are able to mate at
the age of one month so that at the end of its second
month a female can produce another pair of rabbits.
Suppose that our rabbits never die and that the female
always produces one new pair (one male, one female)
every month from the second month on. The puzzle that
Fibonacci posed was...

How many pairs will there be in one year?

1. At the end of the first month, they mate, but there is still
one only 1 pair.
2. At the end of the second month the female produces a
new pair, so now there are 2 pairs of rabbits in the field.
3. At the end of the third month, the original female
produces a second pair, making 3 pairs in all in the field.
4. At the end of the fourth month, the original female has
produced yet another new pair, the female born two
months ago produces her first pair also, making 5 pairs.

The number of pairs of rabbits in the field at the start

of each month is 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, ...
Can you see how the series is formed and how it continues?
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987 ..More..

If we take the ratio of two successive numbers in Fibonacci's

series, (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, ..) and we divide each by the number before
it, we will find the following series of numbers:
1/1 = 1, 2/1 = 2, 3/2 = 15, 5/3 = 1666..., 8/5 = 16, 13/8 =
1625, 21/13 = 161538...
It is easier to see what is happening if we plot the ratios on a graph:
The ratio seems to be
settling down to a
particular value, which
we call the golden
ratio or the golden
number. It has a value
of
approximately
1618034 , although
we can find an even
more accurate value.

We now proceed to construct the equations governing the

interaction between the above four factors during a disease. A small
growth V in the population of viruses due to multiplication in an
interval of time t is proportional to V and (the coefficient of virus
multiplication). The number of virus neutralized by the antibodies will
be proportional to both the number of virus V and antibodies F and hence
equal to FV where is the coefficient connected with the probability of
neutralization of viruses upon encounter with antibodies.
Thus we get

V = V t - FV t
V
V FV
t
V
Lt
V FV
Vt 0 t

That is
dV/dt = ( - F)V

(1)

Secondly we proceed to construct the equation to

describe the growth of plasma cells.
The
immunocompetent B lymphocyte is stimulated by an
antigen coupled with T cell receptor (TV complex) and
initiates the cascade process of forming cells which
synthesize the antibodies neutralizing antigen of this
kind. Since in our model by antibodies we mean
substrates capable of binding with viruses (including the
T cells receptors), the number of lymphocytes stimulated
in this way will be proportional to VF.

Then the relation describing the increment of plasma cells over a

normal level C* which is constant in a normal organism

C F (t )V (t )t c C t

C
FV c c
t
C
Lt
FV c C
Vt 0 t

dC
FV c c
dt

(2)

The first term in the RHS describe the generation cells:

denotes the
time during which a cascade of plasma cells is formed, denotes the
coefficient allowing for: the probability of an encounter of antigen
antibody, the stimulation of the cascade reaction and the number of
newly generated cells. The second term represents the fall in population
of the cells due to ageing and C is the coefficient equal to the inverse of
the plasma cells of the life time.

We now proceed to calculate the balance of the number of

antibodies reacting with antigen. Let dF denote the change in the
number of antibodies during on interval of time t.
Then we have

dF = Cdt - FVdt - f Fdt

F C t FV f F t
The first term on the RHS represents the generation of
antibodies by plasma cells and is the rate of production of
antibodies by one plasma cell. While deriving equation (1) it was
noted that the number of viruses eliminated during the time interval
t due to their neutralization by antibodies was given by FVt. If
the neutralization of one antigen requires antibodies then FVt
is the number of antibodies neutralized.

The last term stand for the fall in population of the

antibodies due to aging where f is the coefficient inversely
proportional to the time of decay of an antibody.

F
C FV f F t
t

F
Lt
C FV f F
Vt 0 t
Thus

dF/dt = C - FV - f F

(3)

Finally we shall construct an equation to describe the

characteristic damage to vital organs. Let M be the characteristic of a
normal organ and M1 be the corresponding characteristic of a normal part
of the damaged organ. Let
m = 1- M'/M
designate the relative characteristic of damage to the target organ. For
the intact organ m is zero and for the completely damaged organ it is
one. During the disease the increased relative value of the damaged part
of the organ is proportional to the number of antigens and decrease in
this characteristic is due to the recuperative capacity of the organism and
hence we have

m V t m mt

m
V m m
t
m
Lt
V m m
Vt 0 t
that is,

dm/dt = V - m m

(4)

Where is a special constant for each particular

disease and m is the organ-damage time constant.

Usually for equations with delay the initial conditions are given
on an interval [t0-, t0]. But for the problem in hand until the moment
of infection t = t0 there were no virus in the organism: V(t) 0 for t < t0;
and therefore the initial conditions can be given at the point t = t 0.
Thus we have

V(to) = Vo , C(to) = Co
(5)
F(to) = Fo , m(to) = mo
as the initial conditions. Thus equations (1) to (4) along with initial data
(5) constitute the simplest model of a disease.

Thus we have

dV
F V
dt
dC
FV c C
dt
dF
C FV f F
dt
dm
V m m
dt
with

V t0 V 0 , C t 0 C 0

F t0 F 0 , m t 0 m 0

2.2 Qualitative Study of the Simple Model:

1. For all t > 0 equations (1) to (4) has a unique solution satisfying the
initial conditions (5).
2. Non-negativity of the initial conditions imply the non-negativity of
solutions.
3. If the initial conditions are nonnegative and furthermore C0 C*, then
C(t) C* for all t 0.
4. I.The system
states
by
V1 = possesses
0, C1 = C*,two stationary
F1 = (C*)/(
) ,specified
m1=0
f
II.
V2 = [c(f - C*)]/[(-c)],
C2 = [f-c2C*]/[(- c)]
F2 = / , m2 = /m V2

While the first always describes the state of a healthy organism

(V1 = 0, m1= 0) the second describes the chronic form of the disease
only of V2 > 0.
That is only when

> C and f > C*

or

< C and f < C*

1. The first stationary state is asymptotically stable

when < F*
2. If Vo < [f ( F*-)] / [] ,
for < F*,

V(t)0

as

Two Limiting Cases.

The organism produces no antibodies of a particular specificity to
neutralize a particular kind of virus. Then we have F(t) = Fo = 0 for all
t > 0 and = 0. In this case (1) assumes the form dV/dt = V
which implies V(t) = V0 et where V0 is the initial concentration of
viruses.
The dynamics of the damage of the organ is specified by

dm/dt + m m = Vo et

which for the initial condition m(0)=0 possesses the solution

m = (Vo / +m )(et-e-mt)
(V,F,m) (V0 e-t,O,((V0)/())(et-1)

is
(
m

set to zero)

(no restorative capacity to the organ)

Clearly such a solution corresponds to the course of the disease

with leathel outcome since the are no factors compensating the growth
antigens. This is certainly a limiting case and rare to encounter in reality
but serve as a good approximation for situations developed in some old
people whose immune system fail to have an expressed reactivity to
antigens or in people with acquired or congenital immune defects. The
other limiting case involves a dominant immune response when the level
of antibodies present in the organism specific for the given antigen is
sufficient for all the antigens that penetrate the organism without
activating the antibody producing mechanism. In this case we have F
always at a constant level F* and F*
yielding

dV/dt = (-F*)V
possessing
V(t) = V0 e( - F*)t as solution.

This implies that the antigen population in the organism will

decrease exponentially. When is set zero we have

V = V0 e- F* t
as the second limiting solution.
Thus, we have found two limit solutions corresponding to the
lethal outcome and a high immunologic barrier. For given coefficients of
the model and initial conditions, the entire family of diverse dynamics of
the disease lies in the dotted area in the figure below

ln V
V0 e(t)

ln V0

V0 e(-F*t)
t
Dynamics of a disease, High immunologic barries and
lethal outcome as limit solutions.

V
V max

V0

t1

t1

Fmax
/
F#
t1
The acute form of a disease

t2

V
Vmax

V0
t1

t2

t3

t4

t1

t2

t3

The chronic form of a disease

t4

Physical Models
Consider the melting of a snow ball. Let r be the radius of the snow ball.
Let half of the snow ball melt in one hour. How long will it take for the
remainder to melt? Conditions remain unchanged.
If is the density of the snow ball, M(t) its mass, V(t) its volume
and time t in hours.
Then

4
M (t ) r 3 (t )
3 change of mass is
The time rate of
dM
dr
4r 2
dt
dt
dM
ie
4r 2 k
dt

(1)
( 2)
(3)

where k is a positive constant of proportionality and the ve sign

implying that the mass is decreasing at the time. Equating (2) and (3)

We get

dr
k
,
dt

( 4)

Thus according to this model the radius of the snow ball decreases
uniformly with time. Integrating (4) and using the initial condition,
we get
t
t
r (t ) R t R(1
) R(1 )
R /
tm

(5)

t m R / is the time required for the snow ball to melt,

where
which occurs when the radius is zero. We need to know the value of
, to get t m . For which we have to use the condition that after
one hour half the snow ball melted.

V (1) 1 r 3 (1)
ie
3
V (0) 2
R

( 6)

So that

r (1) 2

1 / 3

R 0.79 R .

Also from (5) easily get

R
tm
R r (1)
Thus

(7 )

R
1
1
tm

4.8 hrs.
R 0.79 R 1 0.79 0.21

Finally it takes close to 4 more hours to melt away completely.

Institutions where Mathematics can

be perused

IISER Pune, Bhopal, Mohali, Tiruvanandapuram, Kolkatta - 5 year

BS-MS dual degree with major in biology, chemistry, mathematics
and physics
Chennai Mathematics Institute. Integrated MSc( Mathematics )
ISI Bangalore, Kolkatta, Delhi.
Indian IInstitute of Science Bangalore (Four year BS Course
Common for all science subjects)
IITs
Central Universities: Hyderabad, Pondichery, Kochin University of
Science & Technology
TATA Institute of Fundamental Research. Mumbai, Bangalore,
Hyderabad,
Institute of Mathematical Sciences (MATSCIENCE), Chennai,
State University Departments: Ramanujan Institute, Chennai,
Bharathiar University Coimbatore, Bangalore University
Bangalore etc

Applications of Mathematics:

DRDO, ISRO, NAL, C-MMACS, CDOT,

IAF, IITM,
National Institute of Immunology,
CSIR Labs etc.

Awards

Fields Medal,
Abel Prize,
Millennium Prize,
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and
Technology
Young Scientist Award,
National Academy Sciences Scopus Award,
Nobel Prize for Economics etc.