Equivalent formulations of “the equation of life”

doi:10.1088/1674-1056/23/7/070513

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.

Keywords: Darwin evolution nonequilibrium processes stochastic dynamics

Received: 19 March 2014
Revised: 22 May 2014
Accepted manuscript online:

PACS:	05.70.Ln	(Nonequilibrium and irreversible thermodynamics)
	05.10.Gg	(Stochastic analysis methods)
	72.70.+m	(Noise processes and phenomena)
	87.15.Ya	(Fluctuations)

Fund: Project supported in part by the 985 Project of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China.

Corresponding Authors: Ao Ping
E-mail: aoping@sjtu.edu.cn

About author: 05.70.Ln; 05.10.Gg; 72.70.+m; 87.15.Ya

Cite this article:

Ao Ping (敖平) Equivalent formulations of “the equation of life” 2014 Chin. Phys. B 23 070513

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Equivalent formulations of “the equation of life”

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