A mathematical calculation by a professor at the University of Ottawa - (bN)(S/N)Z = bSZ - describes the rate that humans would become zombies as they are gradually infected by the living dead.
The maths might seem bizarre, but it can be used to model the spread of disease in the modern world.
Robert J. Smith is publishing his zombie maths models and others created by researchers in a forthcoming book called 'Mathematical modelling of zombies,' NBC News reported.
His calculations show why zombies are the viruses of the monster world.
While Dr Smith chose a tongue-and-cheek scenario, the maths is important as zombies' likeness to the way viruses spread in the real world makes them interesting subjects for theoretical analyses of virus epidemics.
In his zombie apocalypse equation - (bN)(S/N)Z = bSZ - where N represents the total population, S is the number of people susceptible to zombie attacks, Z is the number of zombies and b is the likelihood of transmission, the model shows that people would quickly become zombies.
It also demonstrates that the living dead would efficiently take over the world as there is no possibility of 'stable equilibrium' where zombies and humans could peacefully co-exist or overcome the zombie infection.
The mathematicians told NBC that only coordinated attacks to eradicate early zombies could save humanity.
Disease modelling, like Dr Smith's research, plays an important role in preparing for and fighting viral epidemics.
Mat Mogk, founder of the Zombie Research Society, told NBC that as zombies are biological in nature and do not live forever, mathematicians can apply biological models to them.
They are often depicted as flesh-eating monsters who spread their disease by munching on healthy people.
Virologist Ian MacKay of the Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre at the University of Queensland blogged about new film World War Z, in which Brad Pitt plays a UN inspector scouring Earth for the origin of a zombie outbreak.
He said: 'A zombie is a bit like giving a virus legs and teeth.
'This is basically a virus taking over a host, and spreading very quickly and efficiently...It's an extreme virus-transmission event, if you like.'
Dr Smith believes the rapidity of infection in zombie infections (depicted in films) makes the spread of disease unstoppable as 'it only takes one zombie to overtake a city'.
He believes quarantine or slowing the spread of the disease down only delays the zombie apocalypse, instead of stopping it completely.
Only very frequent attacks that increase in their effectiveness could save humanity, he said.
To come up with his mathematical model, Dr Smith used a technique developed just two decades ago called 'impulsive differential equations' that demonstrates how sudden shocks affect systems and is often used to model satellite orbits.
The zombie maths models have helped develop another working model for a real disease - human papillomavirus (HPV).
Source: Daily Mail
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