Combining two important and growing areas of applied mathematics—control theory and modeling—this textbook introduces and builds on methods for simulating and tackling concrete problems in a variety of applied sciences. Emphasizing "learning by doing," the authors focus on examples and applications to real-world problems. An elementary presentation of advanced concepts, proofs to introduce new concepts, and carefully presented MATLAB® programs guide the reader through methods in optimal control and related models. This approach not only fosters an understanding of the basic topics, but also leads the way to new, independent research. With minimal prerequisites and exercises in each chapter, An Introduction to Optimal Control Problems in Life Sciences and Economics, serves as an excellent textbook for graduate and advanced undergraduate courses in mathematics, physics, engineering, computer science, as well as biology, biotechnology, economics, and finance. The work is also a useful reference for researchers and practitioners working with optimal control theory in the above areas. Key features include: * An introduction to the main tools of MATLAB®, as well as programs that move from relatively simple ODE applications to more complex PDE models; * Numerous applications to a wide range of subjects, including HIV and insulin treatments, population dynamics, and stock management; * Exploration of cutting-edge topics in later chapters, such as optimal harvesting and optimal control of diffusive models, designed to stimulate further research and theses projects; * Exercises in each chapter, allowing students a chance to work with MATLAB and achieve a better grasp of the applications; * Minimal prerequisites: undergraduate-level calculus; * Appendices with basic concepts and results from functional analysis and ordinary differential equations, including Runge–Kutta methods; * Supplementary MATLAB files are available at the publisher’s website: http://www.birkhauser-science.com/978-0-8176-8097-8/. As a guided tour to methods in optimal control and related computational methods for ODE and PDE models, An Introduction to Optimal Control Problems in Life Sciences and Economics serves as an excellent textbook for graduate and advanced undergraduate courses in mathematics, physics, engineering, computer science, biology, biotechnology, and economics. The work is also a useful reference for researchers and practitioners working with optimal control theory in these areas.