Advancing epidemiological modeling: spectral collocation for sleeping sickness
摘要
While nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs) are fundamental to epidemiological modeling, they require numerical solvers that are both accurate and stable over long-term simulations. This study addresses this gap by implementing and validating a Chebyshev-based Spectral Collocation Method (SCM) for a nonlinear model of Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT, or sleeping sickness). The numerical scheme’s stability is ensured by a row replacement strategy used to correctly impose the system’s initial conditions. The method’s accuracy is demonstrated by computing the residual errors and through direct validation against an ODE solver. Using this validated model, qualitative and quantitative global sensitivity analyses were performed. The analysis identified the tsetse fly mortality rate (