STUDY ON DIFFUSION OF RUMOURS THROUGH EPIDEMIC MODELS UNDER NON IDENTICAL SET UP

摘要

The spread of rumour can be modelled easily by using epidemic models because of the similarity in underlying processes. The present paper attempts to study diffusion of rumours through a simple epidemic model, taking into account two possible sources of rumour viz primary and secondary. Since the behavior of different persons involved under the process will be different and also the rate of spread will be time dependent the underlying variables will not be independent and identical. The process has been studied through simulation and the process average has been compared with the average obtained from an established theoretical result. The objective of the study is to predict the number of hearers at a particular time point by using the proposed model.