Structural identifiability for a class of non-linear compartmental systems using linear/non-linear splitting and symbolic computation
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Interactive and Visualized Online Experimentation System for Engineering Education and Research
Published on: November 24, 2021
Michael J Chapman1, Keith R Godfrey, Michael J Chappell
1School of MIS-Maths, Coventry University, CV1 5FB, Coventry, UK. m.chapman@coventry.ac.uk
Abstract:
Under certain controllability and observability restrictions, two different parameterisations for a non-linear compartmental model can only have the same input-output behaviour if they differ by a locally diffeomorphic change of basis for the state space. With further restrictions, it is possible to gain valuable information with respect to identifiability via a linear analysis. Examples are presented where non-linear identifiability analyses are substantially simplified by means of an initial linear analysis. For complex models, with four or more compartments, this linear analysis can prove lengthy to perform by hand and so symbolic computation has been employed to aid this procedure.
Related Concept Videos
Classification of Systems-I
Homogeneity dictates that if an input x(t) is multiplied by a constant c, the output y(t) is multiplied by the same constant. Mathematically, this is expressed as:
Linear time-invariant Systems
The input-output behavior of an LTI system can be fully defined by its response to an impulsive excitation at its input. Once this impulse response is known, the system's reaction to any other input can be calculated...
Linear Approximation in Frequency Domain
In contrast, nonlinear systems do not inherently possess these properties. However, for small deviations around an operating point, a nonlinear system can often be approximated as linear.
Linear Approximation in Time Domain
For a simple pendulum with a mass evenly distributed along its length and the center of mass located at half the pendulum's length, the...
Mechanistic Models: Overview of Compartment Models
Mechanistic Models: Compartment Models in Algorithms for Numerical Problem Solving
In individual population analyses, different algorithms are employed, such as Cauchy's method, which uses a...