Systems of populations with multiple structures: modeling and analysis (Q282377)

In this paper, the authors consider a class of functional-differential equations which arises in modeling the dynamics of structured populations. This class includes model equations for diseases spreading by interactions between hosts, vectors and parasites. Drug sensitive and drug resistant parasites and their effects on the infected host and vector populations are modeled via structural variables. In this paper, the evolution of \(n\) structured and \(m\) unstructured interacting populations is described by a coupled system of \(n\) functional-partial differential equations and \(m\) functional-ordinary differential equations. In general, besides initial conditions some additional ``boundary'' conditions are required in order to determine missing data for the structure dependent variables. As the main result of this paper, the authors present the analysis for the existence of unique, positive solutions.