CMAJ • December 8, 2009; 181 (12). First published December 7, 2009; doi:10.1503/cmaj.091704
© 2009 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors
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A report on the zombie outbreak of 2009: how mathematics can save us (no, really)

Dr. Robert Smith, MSc PhD

From the Department of Mathematics and the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.


Figure 140
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  		Figure 1: Schematic diagram of the basic mathematical model (black arrows). Humans (friendly Canadians, in this example) can either die naturally or be converted into zombies — which is not terribly pleasant, but does come with that nifty jacket and tie. Zombies can reanimate the dead or be killed by humans (although it must be said that the latter doesn’t bother them too much). Possible intervention include quarantine of the zombies (green arrow), a potential cure (blue arrow) or impulsive attacks (red arrow). Image courtesy of Robert Smith?/Mike Delorme [zombie photo]

 

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  		Image courtesy of Courtesy of Sony Pictures Canada

 

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  		Figure 2: Projected population dynamics (based on type of intervention) in the context of a zombie outbreak. In the basic model (A), zombies eradicate humans after 4 days, leaving nobody to host daytime variety television shows or stop you from entering nightclubs (i.e., no loss there). (B): Quarantine delays the inevitable. Slightly. (C): A cure allows zombies to live in harmony with humans, which would be more fun for zombies than humans. (D): Only episodes of blind, aggressive, unfeeling violence are effective. And that’s just on the part of humans. Image courtesy of Nova Science Publishers Inc.