 SIR model with non-local force of infectionBárbara Silva Rodrigues, Magda Rebelo and Paula Patrício Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (MATCOM), 2026, vol. 249, issue C, 229-249 Abstract: Spatial dependence is incorporated into an SIR model with a non-local force of infection by accounting for continuously distributed contacts across space. This leads to a system of integro-differential equations. For this spatial model, the existence and uniqueness of solutions have been established, and the basic reproduction number, R0, has been defined via the next-generation operator. The relationship between the stability of the disease-free equilibrium and the basic reproduction number has been established. A numerical method is proposed to approximate the basic reproduction number. Numerical simulations explore different scenarios of spatial heterogeneity in comparison with the homogeneous case. The epidemiological implications of these scenarios are analysed, including sensitivity to the initial location of the outbreak, as well as the influence of population density and contact distribution on disease dynamics and endemic equilibria. Keywords: Spatial heterogeneity; SIR integro-differential model; Distributed-contacts; Next-generation operator; Basic reproduction number; Disease-free equilibrium stability (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:matcom:v:249:y:2026:i:c:p:229-249 DOI: 10.1016/j.matcom.2026.05.009 Access Statistics for this article Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (MATCOM) is currently edited by Robert Beauwens More articles in Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (MATCOM) from Elsevier |
Is your work missing from RePEc? Here is how to contribute.
Questions or problems? Check the EconPapers FAQ or send mail to .
EconPapers is hosted by the
School of Business at Örebro University.