Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Seminar


Speaker:Dr. Ira Schwartz , Naval Research Laboratory
Title:Chaotic Epidemic Outbreaks: Are They Deterministic or Random?
Time and location: 12:30 pm - 2 pm, DIMACS Center, Room 431, Rutgers University

Lunch will be served.


Abstract

Many diseases that occur in large populations tend to have oscillatory behavior, where the amplitudes of the number of cases appear to vary randomly. Examples are malaria, measles, influenza, pertussis, just to name a few. Many of these diseases are influenced by external envirnments, such as climate, as well as social factors, such as opening and closing of schools. In this talk I will illustrate a new mechanism for the onset of large outbreaks, and its capability of increasing the potential for predicting new outbreaks.


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