Skip Navigation

IMA Journal of Mathematical Control and Information 2000 17(4):295-310; doi:10.1093/imamci/17.4.295
© 2000 by Institute of Mathematics and its Applications
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by GRIFFITHS, J.
Right arrow Articles by WILLIAMS, J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Analytic solutions to compartmental models of the HIV/AIDS epidemic

JEFF GRIFFITHS, TRACEY ENGLAND and JANET WILLIAMS

School of Mathematics, Cardiff University Cardiff CF24 4YH, UK

For many years compartmental models have provided useful insights into the spread of epidemics. Such models are usually fairly easy to set up, but even the simpler models have the disadvantage that they are intractable to analytic solution. In this paper we examine models of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and show that the equations may be linearized in a piecewise manner over time, thus allowing analytic solutions to be obtained. Indications of the usefulness of this approach are provided. In particular, an analytic solution gives insight into the mechanism of the epidemic, together with a clearer picture of the sensitivity of results to changes in parameter values. Further, the processes of parameter estimation and the methodology of back-calculation also benefit from the provision of functional forms for the state variables.

Keywords: compartmental models; HIV; AIDS; epidemics.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.