About the lecture

In this mini-lecture, we discuss Topics 5.03a and 6.03e by exploring exponential growth and decay problems, in which populations grow or decay at a constant proportion of the original population. As we move through this mini-lecture, we consider a variety of growth and decay problems, including (i) radioactive decay, where we introduce the concept of a half-life; (ii) compound interest; (iii) how to construct an equation to determine growth or decay after a specified amount of time; and (iv) the depreciation in value of a car using a systematic iterative approach called a bisection search.

About the lecturer

Thomas Woolley is a Mathematical Biologist and Senior Lecturer in the School of Mathematics at Cardiff University. His research focuses on modelling biological systems in order to understand how certain biological phenomena occur. Currently, he is working on understanding muscle stem cell protrusions known as blebs. Blebs allow cells to move along muscle fibres in order to find and heal damage, and Dr Woolley is interested in gaining insights into how this motion occurs. Alongside his research, Dr Woolley is passionate about outreach and has contributed to a variety of projects, including appearances on Numberphile and BBC Radio Wales – Science Cafe. He also contributed to the creation of Mathematics: The Winton Gallery at the London Science Museum.