Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 22, 2026

Experimental Manipulation of Body Size to Estimate Morphological Scaling Relationships in Drosophila
Published on: October 1, 2011
Scaling for Dynamical Systems in Biology
1Department of Mathematics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0130, USA. gledder@unl.edu.
Abstract:
Asymptotic methods can greatly simplify the analysis of all but the simplest mathematical models and should therefore be commonplace in such biological areas as ecology and epidemiology. One essential difficulty that limits their use is that they can only be applied to a suitably scaled dimensionless version of the original dimensional model. Many books discuss nondimensionalization, but with little attention given to the problem of choosing the right scales and dimensionless parameters. In this paper, we illustrate the value of using asymptotics on a properly scaled dimensionless model, develop a set of guidelines that can be used to make good scaling choices, and offer advice for teaching these topics in differential equations or mathematical biology courses.
Related Concept Videos
Scaling
Modeling with Differential Equations
Population Growth
Exponential Equations for Modeling Growth
Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation
Growth Models with Integration: Problem Solving

