Department of Mathematics
UNIT-1
Elementary Mathematical Modelling
Introduction:
Mathematical molding consists of translating real world problems into mathematical problems,
solving the mathematical problems and interpreting solutions in the language of the real world.
A real-world problem, in all its generality can seldom be translated into a mathematical problem
Even if it can be translated, it may not be able to solve the resulting mathematical problem. As such
it becomes necessary „idealize‟ or „simplify‟ the problems or approximate it by another problem
which is quite close to the original problem and can be solved mathematically.
The justification of the idealization assumptions is often found in terms of the closeness of the
agreement between observation and predications of the mathematical model. If the comparison
Is not satisfactory, we modify either the idealization assumption or search for another structure
for the mathematical model.
This leads to the following twelve-point procedure for solving problems through mathematical
modeling.
1. Be clear about the real-world situation to be investigated. Find all its essential
characteristics relevant to the situation and the aspects that can be ignored. (ie of
minimal relevance)
2. Think about all the physical, chemical, biological, social, economic laws that may be
relevant to the situation.
3. Formulate the problem into problem language (PL)
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4. Think about all the variable , ,… , ,….
involved. Classify them into known and unknown ones.
5. Choose the most appropriate model and translate the problem suitably into
Mathematical Language (ML)
6. Think of all possible ways of solving the problem. The methods may be analytical
(Preferably), numerical or simulation.
7. If a reasonable change in the assumptions makes analytical solution possible,
investigate the possibility.
8. Make an error analysis of the method used. If the error is not within acceptable
limits, change the method of solution.
9. Translate the final solution into PL
10. Compare the predictions with available observations or data. If the agreement is
good, accept the model else change the assumptions and approximations in the light
of the discrepancies observed and proceed as before.
11. Continue the process till a satisfactory model is obtained.
12. Deduce the conclusions from the model and test these conclusions against easier
data and additional data that may be collected and see if the agreement still
continues to be good.
Classification of Mathematical Models (MM):
1. Mathematical models may be classified based on the subject matter: MM in Physics, MM in
Biology, MM in Engineering etc.
2. Based on the mathematical techniques used in solving them:
Thus, we have MM through linear algebra, MM through ODE, MM through graphs, MM
through partial DE‟s, MM through partial differential equation, MM through integral
equations etc.
3. Based on purpose: MM for optimization, MM for prediction, MM for insight, MM for
control etc.
4. Based on their nature: MM May be linear or non-linear, discrete or continuous,
deterministic or stochastic, static or dynamic.
Classify the following models:
, where S is the supply, D is the demand and p is price.
Ans: Nonlinear MM, MM in economics.
( ) population at time t
Ans:MM through ODE, MM in Biology, continuous MM.
Some characteristics of mathematical models:
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1. Realism of model: Trade-off between “mathematically tractable” and “realistic”.
2. Robustness: A MM is said to be robust if small changes in parameter lead to only small
changes in the behaviour of the model.
3. Generality and Applicability of models: Some Models are applicable to a wide variety
of situations while others are applicable to specific situation only.
4. Dictionary of mathematical models: It is unlikely that we shall ever have a complete
dictionary of MM. Familiarity with existing models will always be useful, but new
situations will always demand construction of new models.
5. Unity of disciplines: When a Number of different situations are represented by the same
mathematical model, it reveals a certain identify of structures of these situation. It can
lead to a certain economy of efforts and it can reveal a certain underlying unity between
different disciplines.
Linear growth and decay model:
Let ( ) be the population size at time and let and be the birth and death rates
i.e, the number of individuals born or died per individual per unit time.
In time interval ( ), the number of births and deaths would be and
( )= ( )
= ( ) ( )
( ) ( )=( ) ----------------(1)
Dividing both sides by and taking limit as (1) becomes
( ) where
( ) =0
t=0 ( )
( ) ( )
This implies population grows exponentially if and decays exponentially if and
remains constant if
(i) then let be the time in which the population will become double its present size
i.e, ( ) ( )
( ) ( )
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T is called the doubling period of the population and it may be noted that this doubling period is
independent of ( ) It depends on only on and is such that greater the value o
small is the doubling period.
(ii) If the population will become half its present size in time , say
i.e, ( ) | ( )| ( ) ( ) ( )
( )
is called the half life (period) of the population. It is also independent of ( ) and it
decreases as the excess of death rate over birth rate increases.
Examples:
1. Growth of science and scientists:
If ( ) denotes the number of scientists at time , be the number of new scientists
trained in time interval ( ) and be the number of scientists who retire from
science in the same period, then the above model applies to the growth of the number of
scientists.
The same model applies to the growth of Science, Mathematics and technology, where, for
example, ( ) represents the amount of mathematics at time . Then ( ) ( ) would
imply that the rate of growth of Mathematics is proportional to the amount of mathematics
existing.
2. The model also applies to growth of populations of microorganisms, malignant cells and
tree in a forest.
3. Radioactive decay:
Many substances undergo radioactive decay at a rate proportional to the amount of the
radioactive substance present at any time, and each of them have a half life period. For
Uranium it is 4.5 billion years , while for carbon 14 ( also called radioactive carbon ) it is
only 5730 years.
The ratio of radioactive carbon to ordinary carbon (carbon 12) in dead plants and animals
enables us to estimate their time of death. This is called radioactive dating (or radiocarbon
dating). (in this method, the age of earth estimated to be 45 billion years.
4. Change of Temperature:
According to Newtons law of cooling the rate of change of temperature of a body is
proportional to the difference between the temperature of the body and temperature of
the surrounding medium.
We have
( )
( )
( ) ( ( ) )
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This means the excess of the temperature of the body over that the surrounding medium
decays exponentially.
5. Diffusion:
According to Fick‟s law of diffusion, the rate of movement of a solute across a thin
membrane is proportional to the area of the membrane and to the difference in
concentrations of the solute on one slide is kept fixed at and the concentration of the
solution on the other side initially then
( )
( ( ))
( ) as whatever be the value of ( ).
Nonlinear Growth and decay models (Logistic law of population growth):
As the population increases, due to overcrowding and limitations of resources, the birth rate
decreases and the death rate increases with the population size
A simple assumption is to take
w.k.t, ( )
[ ( )]
[ ( ) ]
( ) ( )
( )
( ) ( )
( )
By integrating , (( )
)
( )
( )
( ) ( )
( )
( ) ( )
From (1) and (2) , we have
(i) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
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( ) is a monotonic increasing function of which approaches as
(ii) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
( ) is a monotonic decreasing function which approaches as
Now (1) according as
Thus in case (i) the growth curve is convex if , concave if and has
a point of inflexion at .
If ( ) ( ) increases at an increasing rate till then it increases at a
decreasing rate and approaches as
If ( ) then ( ) increases at a decreasing rate and approaches
If ( ) then ( ) is always equal to
If ( ) then ( ) decreases at a decreasing rate and approaches
.
Spread of technological innovations and infectious diseases:
Let ( ) be the number of companies which have adopted a technological innovation till time
then the rate of change of
depends on the number of companies which have adopted this innovation and the number of
those which have not yet adopted it. If R is the total number of companies in the region, then
( ) ( )
Which is the logistic law. This shows that ultimately, all companies would adopt this innovation.
If is the total number of persons in a system , and if ( ) is the number of infected persons, then
equation (3) represents spreading of an infectious disease.
Note: In the above examples(situations) , N(t) is essentially an integer valued variable , but we
have treated it as a continuous one . this can be regarded as a n idealisation of the situation or as an
approximation to reality.
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Law of mass action: Chemical reactions:
Two chemical substances combine in the ratio a:b to form a third substance z
If z(t) is the amount of the third substance at time t, then a proportion ( ) of it consists of the
first substance and a proportion of (t)
of second.
The rate of formation of third substance is proportional to the product of the amount of the two
component substances which have not yet combined together.
If A and B are the initial amounts of the two substances, then we get
( )( )
This is a nonlinear DE for a second order reaction.
For the order reaction we get the non-linear equation as
( )( ) ( )
where
Compartment models:
Here we use principle of continuity:
“The gain in amount of a substance in a medium in any time is equal to the excess of the amount
that has entered the medium in the time over the amount that has left the medium in this time.‟‟
A simple compartment model:
Let a vessel contain a volume V of a solution with concentration c(t) of a substance at time t
Let a solution with constant concentration C in an overhead tank enter the vessel at a constant rate
R and after mixing thoroughly with the solution in the vessel, let the mixture with concentration c(t)
leave the vessel at the same rate R, so that the volume of the solution in the vessel remains same V
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Using the principle of continuity we get
V [c(t+ ) ( )] -Rc(t)
Dividing by and taking 0
V
= (C-c)
-c
( -c)
( -c)
C-c K
c(t) -K
( )
( )
( ) ( ( ))
( ) ( )
As ( ) so that ultimately the vessel has the same concentration as the overhead tank.
Also if ( ) the concentration in the vessel increases to and ( ) the concentration in
the vessel decreases to .
Diffusion of glucose or medicine in blood stream:
Let the volume of blood in a human body be and let the initial concentration of glucose in the
blood stream be ( ).
Let glucose be introduced in the blood stream at a constant rate . Glucose is also removed from the
blood stream due to the physiological needs of the human body at a rate proportional to ( ).
By continuity principle we get
Now let a dose of a medicine be given to a patient at regular intervals of duration each.
The medicine also disappears from the system at a rate proportional to ( ) the concentration of the
medicine in the blood stream
Then by continuity principle
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Integrating we get
( ) ( )
At time ( ) the residue of the first dose is and now another dose is given so that we
get
( )
( )
The first term gives the residual of the first dose and the second term gives the residual of the
second dose. Proceeding in this way after n doses we get
( ) ( ) ( ( ) )
( )
( )
= [ ]
( )
= ,( )
Just before the next dose
( ) ( )
( ) [ ]
When next dose is given
( )
( )
( )
=
i.e, gets bigger we have
i.e, =
( )
i.e, the concentration never exceeds
In each interval concentration decreases
In any interval, the concentration is maximum at the beginning and that maximum
concentration keep increasing interval by interval but will be below
The minimum value in an interval occurs at the end of each interval. This also keep
increasing but lies below .
The concentration curve is piecewise continuous and has points of discontinuity at
By injecting glucose on penicillin in blood and fitting curve (4) to the data, we can estimate
the value of and In particular this gives a method for finding the volume of blood in the
human body.
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Modelling in dynamics
Equations of motion are formed based in the principle:
Mass x acceleration in any direction = Force in that direction which yield second order
differential equations.
Motion of a projectile:
A particle of mass m is projected from the origin in vacuum with velocity V inclined at
angle to the horizontal. Suppose at time , it is at position P ( ( ) ( )) and horizontal and
vertical velocity components are ( ) ( ) respectively, then the equations of motion are
and
Integrating, we get
( ) and ( )
( ) ( ) and ( ) ( ) ( )
( ) and ( )
( ) and ( )
i.e, ( ) and ( )
Integrating again,
( ) and ( ) ----------(1)
Eliminating between these two equations,
( ) (equation of trajectory) this is a parabola.
( )
i.e, ( ( ) )
( )
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The parabola cuts when or i.e,
Which corresponds to the positions and in the figure. Hence the range of the
particle is
Putting in (1), or this gives the time of flight
Mathematical modelling through ODE of second order:
Electrical circuits:
Consider an electric circuit as shown in the figure
The current ( ) amperes represent the rate of change of charge flowing in the circuit, so that
( ) ----------------(1)
ohms in the circuit. This may be provided by a light bulb, an electric
heater or any electric device, causing a potential drop of magnitude volts.
There is an induction of inductance henry which produces a potential drop .
There is a capacitance which produces a potential drop
All these potential drops are balanced by the battery which produces a voltage volts.
According to Kirchoff‟s voltage law the algebraic sum of the voltage drops round a closed circuit is
zero so that
( )---------(2)
Differentiating and using (1)
-----------------(3)
Also by substituting (1) in (2)
( ) -------------------(4)
Both equations (3) and (4) represents linear differential equations with constant coefficients
and their solutions determine ( ) and ( )
Model of Mass spring – Dash pot:
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Consider an ordinary coil spring suspended from a fixed support. Attach a body at its lower end,
for instance, an iron piece at rest. We choose the downward direction as positive.
Let the metal piece be pull down by an amount , then by hook‟s law, the equation of motion
is ( ) where ( ) is the spring constant. Thus
This is a homogeneous linear ODE with constant coefficients.
Solution of this equation is ( ) where √
This is called a harmonic oscillation.
Now add a damping force proportional to the velocity obtaining
This can be done by connecting the ball to a dashpot where (>0) is the damping constant.
Here and
Case(i): over damping
If the damping constant is so large that then the roots and are real, distinct
and negative.
( )
Thus ( ) as and the motion is said to be overdamped.
Case (ii): Critical damping
If then roots
( ) ( )
Again ( ) as and eventually the body comes to rest, but not as quickly as case (i)
because of the first term which is a polynomial. The motion is said to be critically damped.
Case (iii): Under damping
If , then the roots are imaginary say . Then
( ) ( )
This means keeps oscillating but since ( ), the oscillations are damped out and tend to
zero as . The motion is said to be underdamped.
This model is extended by including an external force ( ) acting on the body. Then we have
( ) ------------(5)
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of special interest are periodic external forces of the form which gives the non –
homogeneous ODE.
Both the equations (4)(in LRC circuit) and (5) (from mass-spring-dashpot) can be compared which
gives the following correspondences.
Mass inductance
Frition coefficient resistance
Spring constant inverse capacitanc
Impressed force ( ) impressed voltage ( )
Displacement charge
Velocity current
This shows the correspondance between mechanical systems and electrical systems. This forms the
basis of analogue computers. A linear ODE of second order can be solved by forming an electrical
circuit and measuring the electrical current in it.
Similar analogues exist between hydrodynamical and electrical systems. Mathematical modelling
brings out the isomorphisms between mathematical structures of quite different systems and gives a
method for solving all these models in terms of the simplest one among them.
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