Math 435 - Math in the City Fall 2020
Homework 2
due Wednesday, September 16
You may collaborate with your classmates; if you decide to collaborate, you need to write your own
solutions and acknowledge the collaboration in your work.
Your solutions should use proper English and complete statements. Make sure your notation and
assumptions are stated clearly at the beginning of each problem. Please read your solutions entirely
efore you turn them in.
1. Derive the mathematical properties of the SEIR model:
dS
dt
= −βSI,
dE
dt
= βSI − ηE,
dI
dt
= ηE − γI,
dR
dt
= γI.
with initial condition:
S(0) = S0, E(0) = E0, I(0) = I0, R(0) = R0.
(a) The total population N = S + E + I +R is a contant.
(b) limt→∞ S(t) = S∞ > 0. That is, not everyone gets the disease.
(c) I∞ = 0. That is, the epidemic ends eventually.
(d) Explain why E∞ = 0 and it concludes S∞ +R∞ = N .
(e) Let r0 = R(0)/N, s∞ = S∞/N . Explain why 1 − r0 − s∞ is the fraction of people who
have the disease at some point t∗ in the epidemic.
2. Plague in Eyam. The De
yshire village of Eyam, England, suffered an out
eak of bubonic
plague in XXXXXXXXXXThe source of that plague was believed to be the Great Plague of
London. The village is best known for being the plague village that chose to isolate itself
when the plague was discovered there in August 1665 rather than let the infection spread.
Detailed records were preserved. The initial population of Eyam was 350. In mid-May 1666,
nine months after the beginning of the epidemic, there were 254 susceptibles and 7 infectives.
The data about the epidemic in the remaining months are given in Table 2.2. The infective
period of the bubonic plague is 11 days.
(a) Estimate α.
Table 1: Number of susceptible and infected individuals during the Great Plague of Eyam
Date 1666 No. susceptible No. infected
Mid-May 254 7
July 3/ XXXXXXXXXX
August 3/ XXXXXXXXXX
August XXXXXXXXXX
September 3/4 108 8
September XXXXXXXXXX
October 3/4 Unknown Unknown
October XXXXXXXXXX
(b) Use the implicit formula of the SIR model to estimate β.
(c) What is the basic reproduction number R0?
(d) Modify the attached demo code to plot S and I alongside the data. Do they fit?
3. Read the demo code, get clear the function of each block of the code. Modify the code to
simulate the SEIR model
dS
dt
= −βSI,
dE
dt
= βSI − ηE,
dI
dt
= ηE − γI,
dR
dt
= γI.
with:
β = 0.01 (Persion· Day)−1, η = 1/5 Day−1, γ = 1/4 Day−1
S0 = 90, I0 = 10, E0 = R0 = 0.
(a) What is R0? Plot the simulation results of this problem. Attach the image.
(b) Change the value of β and plot the results. Attach the image. What is R0? Compare
the new results with the orginal one, explain why the changes in parameters yield the
difference.
(c) Change the value of η and plot the results. Attach the image. What is R0? Compare
the new results with the orginal one, explain why the changes in parameters yield the
difference.
(d) Change the value of γ and plot the results. Attach the image. What is R0? Compare
the new results with the orginal one, explain why the changes in parameters yield the
difference.