Epidemic Models Their Structure and Relation to Data [Paperback]

Surveys the state of epidemic modelling, resulting from the NATO Advanced Workshop at the Newton Institute in 1993.Epidemiology is one of the most vibrant branches of applied ecology. Progress in this field requires inter-disciplinary collaboration; leading researchers with a wide range of mathematical expertise and close involvement in applied fields across the social, medical and biological sciences came together for a NATO Advanced Research Workshop marking the opening of a six month programme on Epidemic Models at the Newton Institute in Cambridge in 1993. This volume is a result of that collaboration.Epidemiology is one of the most vibrant branches of applied ecology. Progress in this field requires inter-disciplinary collaboration; leading researchers with a wide range of mathematical expertise and close involvement in applied fields across the social, medical and biological sciences came together for a NATO Advanced Research Workshop marking the opening of a six month programme on Epidemic Models at the Newton Institute in Cambridge in 1993. This volume is a result of that collaboration.The problems of understanding and controlling disease present a range of mathematical challenges, from broad theoretical issues to specific practical ones, making epidemiology one of the most vibrant branches of applied biology. Progress in this field requires collaboration among leading researchers with a wide range of mathematical expertise and close involvement in applied fields across the social, medical and biological sciences. This volume surveys the current state of epidemic modeling in relation to basic aims such as understanding, prediction, and evaluation and implementation of control strategies. The book is divided into five parts, covering the conceptual framework, three major problem areas (space, nonlinearity, heterogeneity), and the direct relation of models to data. The contributors discuss a wide range of methodological issues, e.g. comparing different approaclS4