J Math Biol. 2023 Aug 2;87(2):36. doi: 10.1007/s00285-023-01967-9.
ABSTRACT
We prove that it is possible to obtain the exact closure of SIR pairwise epidemic equations on a configuration model network if and only if the degree distribution follows a Poisson, binomial, or negative binomial distribution. The proof relies on establishing the equivalence, for these specific degree distributions, between the closed pairwise model and a dynamical survival analysis (DSA) model that was previously shown to be exact. Specifically, we demonstrate that the DSA model is equivalent to the well-known edge-based Volz model. Using this result, we also provide reductions of the closed pairwise and Volz models to a single equation that involves only susceptibles. This equation has a useful statistical interpretation in terms of times to infection. We provide some numerical examples to illustrate our results.
PMID:37532967 | DOI:10.1007/s00285-023-01967-9
