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For what it's worth, each of the latest threads was begun sincerely. But I must be getting old because I let myself be taken off-topic. Anyone who's been at CF more than 12 minutes knows who the trolls are, but ... well ... as it's been said: once the damage is done, it's done. So, I can either...

Oh, I'm sorry. It was just a joke. It didn't seem this was a serious discussion, so I didn't think it would matter. I guess it's best I step back.

I didn't think anything in science was decided on the basis of what seems obvious.

I was thinking more in terms of why two organisms can't produce offspring. Suppose male1 and female1 produce offspring; male2 and female2 produce offspring; but male1 and female2 can't; male2 and female1 can't.

That was never specified.

Yes, let's focus on sexual reproduction for now. I had also suggested we focus solely on birth rate. True. So we have two populations: Nm, Nf (m=male, f=female). We can enumerate them n_m (i=1,Nm) and n_f (j=1,Nf). I'd suggest we put aside monogamy and infertility. Of course those would have...

I interpreted you to say my question was ill-formed, and therefore could not be answered. If you cannot answer, there's nothing more to say.

I'm not asking to be taught traditional biology, so a teaching certificate is not a necessity here. So far, you're doing better than anyone else. A dimensional analysis of the composite rate, r, would suggest the birth and death rates are additive: r = r_b - r_d, where: r_b = birth rate r_d =...

This has potential, but what is the extent of the "I imagine" comment? Should I keep going? So far, I'd say our fundamental question is: How does population size change over time? Our measure is the organism (in units of B (beings), since O would be too easily confused with zero). Our...

I assume N = population size, t = time, r = proportionality constant How does one determine 'r'? Does it somehow relate to reproductive processes of the population that would lead to an average birth rate per organism?

You're using a lot of terms I don't know. You'll need to define things. Not all of them. Pick one.

What is a fundamental question or principle associated with population dynamics?

Not sure how this relates to the OP.

OK.

That's a definition rather than a theorem, but that's fine. We can go that direction. What are the measures used for growth, reproduction, and functional activity?

Self study is not the goal. The goal is to see if the fundamentals of biology can be presented to me in a logical, mathematical structure. If that is not an applicable approach for biology, so be it. Per your question, is there a standard method for obtaining the properties of organisms?

OK. What, then, is the fundamental theorem that begins to address that question?

Your opinion has been noted.

Since my attempt was such a dismal failure, I'll concede and let's try something different. Teach me biology. However, I'm going to ask you to do it in a way that may be unfamiliar. I don't want you to take an empirical approach. Don't show me data from the natural world. I want you to teach me...

Indeed, it seems I've done a poor job. It would be easy to write a program where something evolves. It would be easy to write a program where nothing is created until an intelligent agent intervenes. Neither of those programs would mean anything. It begs the question to assume evolution or...