Mathematical ecology: A century of progress, and challenges for the next century

The subject of mathematical ecology is one of the oldest and most exciting
in mathematical biology, and has helped in the management of natural
systems and infectious diseases. Though many problems remain in those
areas, we face new challenges today in finding ways to cooperate in
managing our Global Commons. From behavioral and evolutionary
perspectives, our societies display conflict of purpose or fitness across
levels, leading to game-theoretic problems in understanding how
cooperation emerges in Nature, and how it might be realized in dealing with
problems of the Global Commons. This lecture will attempt to weave these
topics together, tracing the evolution from earlier work to challenges for the
future.

Simon Levin is the J.S. McDonnell distinguished university professor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University. He is a recipient of the National Medal of Science, the Kyoto Prize and a Robert H. MacArthur Award.