What am I missing?
b, S, N, and Z all cancel each other out!
I suppose that it is a handy formula, even if:
b = odds of Weiner surviving to the primaries.
S = Average number of toes on domestic shorthair cats.
Z = number of Zimmerman articles released today.
N = # of pickles in the jar.
(bN)(S/N)Z = bSZ
divide both sides by Z
(bN)(S/N) = bS
Multiply (bN)(S/N)= bS
Therefore, bS = bS
ha.
I think he is showing that the equation on the left simplifies to the equation on the right. Therefore, N (population size) is irrelevant to the dynamics of disease transmission.
The “professor” doesn’t have anything in the equation for the removal of zombies only the maintenance and/or addition. He also needs to account for the change in N and/or S as more of the susceptible population is infected.
Plus the whole natural die off rate from natural morbidity and population growth. I assume zombies don’t procreate outside of the infection method. The unafflicted population will procreate still.
So yes the equation has issues :)