The history of the logistic equation

Speaker: Artem Novozhilov, NDSU

October 04, 2013.

The logistic equation is a simple ordinary differential equation that is usually studied in introductory ODE courses as a mathematical model for a bounded population growth. Notwithstanding its simplicity, there is a great deal of history behind this model, the history that included heated debates about the general applicability of such models in biological sciences. I am going to talk about some of the moments in the history of this equation and highlight the interaction between  mathematical and biological sides of the story. No specific background is necessary.