A quasilinear hierarchical size-structured model: well-posedness and approximation (Q849852)

A finite difference approximation to a hierarchical size-structured model with nonlinear growth, mortality and reproduction rates is developed. Existence and uniqueness of the weak solution to the model is established and convergence of the finite-difference approximation is proved. Simulations indicate that the monotonicity condition on growth rate is crucial for the global existence of weak solutions.