Mathematics
Mathematical Models of Epidemic Spread like SIR Compartments
Quick fact
The SIR model can show that even a tiny change in how many people each infected person infects (the R₀ value) can be the difference between a small outbreak and a massive epidemic.
Why this is interesting
Every day, headlines show charts of infected cases rising and falling—but how do scientists predict those curves before they happen? The answer lies in a mathematical model that treats a population like a series of mixing bowls.