Keeping the beat - Part 1

The heart.s function of pumping blood may seem fairly simple but
the underlying mechanisms and electrical impulses that maintain a
healthy rhythm are extremely complex. Many areas of mathematics,
including differential equations, dynamical systems, and topology
help model the electrical behavior of cardiac cells, the
connections between those cells and the heart.s overall geometry.
Researchers aim to gain a better understanding of the normal
operation of the heart, as well as learn how to diagnose the onset
of abnormalities and correct them. Of the many things that can go
wrong with a heart.s rhythm, some measure of unpredictability is
(surprisingly) not one of them. A healthy heartbeat is actually
quite chaotic not regular at all. Furthermore, beat patterns become
less chaotic as people age and heart function diminishes. In fact,
one researcher recommends that patients presented with a new
medication should ask their doctors, "What is this drug going to do
to my fractal dimensionality?" For More Information: Taking
Mathematics to Heart: Mathematical Challenges in Cardiac
Electrophysiology, John W. Cain, Notices of the AMS, April 2011,
pp. 542-549.