Mathematical and theoretical biology, or biomathematics, is a branch of biology that uses mathematical models and theoretical analysis to investigate the fundamental principles governing living systems, offering quantitative predictions not always apparent through experimental methods alone. Its origins trace back to the 13th century with Fibonacci's rabbit population model and Daniel Bernoulli's 18th-century work on smallpox. Key milestones include Thomas Malthus's 1789 essay on exponential growth and Pierre François Verhulst's 1836 logistic model, alongside D'Arcy Thompson's foundational On Growth and Form (1917).

The field saw rapid expansion from the 1960s due to the genomics revolution, advancements in mathematical tools like chaos theory, increased computing power, and a growing interest in in silico experimentation. This interdisciplinary science is crucial for simulating complex biological processes and predicting their behavior.