Nicholson-Bailey model
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The Nicholson-Bailey model was developed in the 1930's to describe the population dynamics of a coupled host-parasite (or predator-prey) system. It is named after Alexander John Nicholson and Victor Albert Bailey.
The model uses difference equations to describe the population growth of host-parasite populations. The model assumes that parasites search for hosts at random, and that both parasites and hosts are assumed to be distributed in a non-contagious ("clumped") fashion in the environment.
In its original form, the model does not allow for stable host-parasite interactions. To add stability, the model has been extensively modified to add new elements of host and parasite biology. The model is closely related to the Lotka-Volterra model, which uses differential equations to describe stable host-parasite dynamics.
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[edit] References
- J. L. Hopper, "Opportunities and Handicaps of Antipodean Scientists: A. J. Nicholson and V. A. Bailey on the Balance of Animal Populations," Historical Records of Australian Science 7(2), pp. 179 - 188, 1987. [1]
