Mathematical Biology is Good for Mathematics

A bout ten years ago I wrote an article, “Why is Mathematical Biology so Hard?” for these Notices intending to explain why the applications of mathematics to biology would be very different than the traditional applications to physics and engineering [42]. A lot has happened since then. Mathematical biology has grown from a small field, containing relatively few mathematicians, to a major branch of applied mathematics. The reasons for this growth, which are implicit in the discussion below, are not the point of this article, nor do I want to encourage mathematicians to switch to mathematical biology. Rather, I want to make the case that mathematical biology benefits all mathematicians; it is good for the health of mathematics as a whole.