Modeling and simulating the spatial spread of an epidemic through multiscale kinetic transport equations

 

Walter Boscheri, Giacomo Dimarco, Lorenzo Pareschi (18/12/2020, preprint arXiv:2012.10101)

In this work we propose a novel space-dependent multiscale model for the spread of infectious diseases in a two-dimensional spatial context on realistic geographical scenarios. The model couples a system of kinetic transport equations describing a population of commuters moving on a large scale (extra-urban) with a system of diffusion equations characterizing the non commuting population acting over a small scale (urban). The modeling approach permits to avoid unrealistic effects of traditional diffusion models in epidemiology, like infinite propagation speed on large scales and mass migration dynamics. A construction based on the transport formalism of kinetic theory allows to give a clear model interpretation to the interactions between infected and susceptible in compartmental space-dependent models.

From particle swarm optimization to consensus based optimization: stochastic modeling and mean-field limit

 

Sara Grassi, Lorenzo Pareschi (10/12/2020 preprint arXiv:2012.05613)

In this paper we consider a continuous description based on stochastic differential equations of the popular particle swarm optimization (PSO) process for solving global optimization problems and derive in the large particle limit the corresponding mean-field approximation based on Vlasov-Fokker-Planck-type equations. The disadvantage of memory effects induced by the need to store the local best position is overcome by the introduction of an additional differential equation describing the evolution of the local best.

On the stability of equilibrium preserving spectral methods for the homogeneous Boltzmann equation

 L. Pareschi, T. Rey (11/11/2020 preprint arXiv:2011.05811)

Spectral methods, thanks to the high accuracy and the possibility to use fast algorithms, represent an effective way to approximate the Boltzmann collision operator. On the other hand, the loss of some local invariants leads to the wrong long time behavior. A way to overcome this drawback, without sacrificing spectral accuracy, has been proposed recently with the construction of equilibrium preserving spectral methods. Despite the ability to capture the steady state with arbitrary accuracy, the theoretical properties of the method have never been studied in details. In this paper, using the perturbation argument developed by Filbet and Mouhot for the homogeneous Boltzmann equation, we prove stability, convergence and spectrally accurate long time behavior of the equilibrium preserving approach.

High order pressure-based semi-implicit IMEX schemes for the 3D Navier-Stokes equations at all Mach numbers

Walter Boscheri, Lorenzo Pareschi (4/8/2020 preprint arXiv:2008.01789)

This article aims at developing a high order pressure-based solver for the solution of the 3D compressible Navier-Stokes system at all Mach numbers. We propose a cell-centered discretization of the governing equations that splits the fluxes into a fast and a slow scale part, that are treated implicitly and explicitly, respectively. A novel semi-implicit discretization is proposed for the kinetic energy as well as the enthalpy fluxes in the energy equation, hence avoiding any need of iterative solvers. The implicit discretization yields an elliptic equation on the pressure that can be solved for both ideal gas and general equation of state (EOS).

Hyperbolic models for the spread of epidemics on networks: kinetic description and numerical methods

Giulia Bertaglia, Lorenzo Pareschi (8/7/2020, ESAIM Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Analysis to appear,  arXiv:2007.04019)

We consider the development of hyperbolic transport models for the propagation in space of an epidemic phenomenon described by a classical compartmental dynamics. The model is based on a kinetic description at discrete velocities of the spatial movement and interactions of a population of susceptible, infected and recovered individuals. Thanks to this, the unphysical feature of instantaneous diffusive effects, which is typical of parabolic models, is removed. In particular, we formally show how such reaction-diffusion models are recovered in an appropriate diffusive limit.