I'm involved as an ecologist in a project to develop a two-semester biocalculus course and textbook. As a biologist, my role is in helping to write snippets of the biology and help track down some data sets. (I keep trying to explain to my math colleague just how long it's been since I took a math course...)
So, I'm asking the community if you have any datasets that you would be willing to lend that could be modeled using calculus -- potential topics (on the ecology side) include exponential and/or logistic population growth, succession, predation -- and much more. On the math side, the topics are ordinary differential equations, difference equations, matrix models, differential calculus, and more. Data are only to be used as examples for the course/ text -- we're thinking it would be nice to provide some real-world data (along with all the faults!) instead of simply generating data sets. (My colleagues in the math department -- and the PI for the project -- will likely be the ones to track down permissions as needed.) Tim Comar (in our math dept) is the PI and lead author of the text. I'd be happy to answer questions to the best of my abilities, and I thank anyone who has data to share in advance! Thanks! Cheryl -- Dr. Cheryl A. Heinz [EMAIL PROTECTED] Assistant Professor, Biology Benedictine University (630) 829-6581 phone (630) 829-6547 FAX http://www.ben.edu/faculty/cheinz/index.htm
