中国物理B ›› 2014, Vol. 23 ›› Issue (7): 70513-070513.doi: 10.1088/1674-1056/23/7/070513

所属专题： TOPICAL REVIEW — Statistical Physics and Complex Systems

• TOPICAL REVIEW—Statistical Physics and Complex Systems • 上一篇    下一篇

Equivalent formulations of “the equation of life”

敖平   

  1. Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
  • 收稿日期:2014-03-19 修回日期:2014-05-22 出版日期:2014-07-15 发布日期:2014-07-15
  • 基金资助:
    Project supported in part by the 985 Project of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China.

Equivalent formulations of “the equation of life”

Ao Ping (敖平)   

  1. Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
  • Received:2014-03-19 Revised:2014-05-22 Online:2014-07-15 Published:2014-07-15
  • Contact: Ao Ping E-mail:aoping@sjtu.edu.cn
  • About author:05.70.Ln; 05.10.Gg; 72.70.+m; 87.15.Ya
  • Supported by:
    Project supported in part by the 985 Project of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China.

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摘要： Motivated by progress in theoretical biology a recent proposal on a general and quantitative dynamical framework for nonequilibrium processes and dynamics of complex systems is briefly reviewed. It is nothing but the evolutionary process discovered by Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace. Such general and structured dynamics may be tentatively named “the equation of life”. Three equivalent formulations are discussed, and it is also pointed out that such a quantitative dynamical framework leads naturally to the powerful Boltzmann-Gibbs distribution and the second law in physics. In this way, the equation of life provides a logically consistent foundation for thermodynamics. This view clarifies a particular outstanding problem and further suggests a unifying principle for physics and biology.

关键词: Darwin, evolution, nonequilibrum processes, stochastic dynamics

Abstract: Motivated by progress in theoretical biology a recent proposal on a general and quantitative dynamical framework for nonequilibrium processes and dynamics of complex systems is briefly reviewed. It is nothing but the evolutionary process discovered by Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace. Such general and structured dynamics may be tentatively named “the equation of life”. Three equivalent formulations are discussed, and it is also pointed out that such a quantitative dynamical framework leads naturally to the powerful Boltzmann-Gibbs distribution and the second law in physics. In this way, the equation of life provides a logically consistent foundation for thermodynamics. This view clarifies a particular outstanding problem and further suggests a unifying principle for physics and biology.

Key words: Darwin, evolution, nonequilibrium processes, stochastic dynamics

中图分类号:  (Nonequilibrium and irreversible thermodynamics)

  • 05.70.Ln
05.10.Gg (Stochastic analysis methods) 72.70.+m (Noise processes and phenomena) 87.15.Ya (Fluctuations)