title: Mathematical epidemiology is not an oxymoron.
abstract: A brief description of the importance of communicable diseases in history and the development of mathematical modelling of disease transmission is given. This includes reasons for mathematical modelling, the history of mathematical modelling from the foundations laid in the late nineteenth century to the present, some of the accomplishments of mathematical modelling, and some challenges for the future. Our purpose is to demonstrate the importance of mathematical modelling for the understanding and management of infectious disease transmission.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z2, Canada. brauer@math.ubc.ca
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brauer
mesh_terms: D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000266:history / Q000635:transmission; D015340:Epidemiologic Research Design; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical