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Mathematical Modelling of Zombies
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In 2009, I published an article I thought would amuse me and no one else: a mathematical model of zombies. The idea was to examine a hypothetical zombie apocalypse through the lens of disease modelling: that is, using the same types of differential equations I use every day to examine the spread of infections such as HIV, malaria, human papillomavirus and a variety of tropical diseases. What we found was that zombies would overwhelm a mid-sized city like Ottawa in just four days.
Much to my surprise, the media appeared to share my sense of humour. The zombie paper was the number one story on the BBC for 24 hours. Stories about it appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Daily Telegraph, Dutch and Finnish papers. It was also on television (TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin) and on radio, such as CBC and NPR. For about four years, it was the top-ranked pdf on Google.
The result was an enormous increase in awareness of disease modelling as a concept. Many people who had never heard of disease modelling became aware of it through this paper. High-school teachers reported that their students became interested in mathematics for the first time. Popular science books on mathemat- ics (The Calculus Diaries: How Math Can Help You Lose Weight, Win in Vegas and Survive a Zombie Apocalypse) were written that showcased both my zombie modelling and also my more serious work on AIDS.
In Winter 2012, I taught a class called “Mathematical Modelling of Zombies,” which illustrated a variety of disease-modelling techniques through the angle of a zombie apocalypse. It received significant attention, with CBC coming to class to film the lectures and also interview students for a news segment. The fact that zombie modelling received so much attention, despite involving mathematics—one of the most impenetrable disciplines and one that engenders fear-based reactions in many people—is still astonishing to me.
But zombies aren’t just a piece of frivolity. They present important lessons that can help us understand just how useful mathematics can be—and that could potentially save our lives someday.
Robert Smith - Personal Name
1st Edtion
978-0-7766-2168-5
NONE
Mathematical Modelling of Zombies
Management
English
University of Ottawa Press
2014
Canada
1-336
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