Stability properties of a nonstandard finite difference scheme for a hantavirus epidemic model.

This paper studies the stability properties of a nonstandard finite difference (NSFD) scheme used to simulate the dynamics of a mouse population model in hantavirus epidemics. It is shown that this difference scheme and the underlying system of differential equations have the same dynamics. The proof uses the fact that the total population obeys the logistic equation, as well as techniques from calculus, graphical analysis, and dynamical systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]