Network transport with nonlinear dynamics at the nodes

Abstract

In this paper, we consider a network transport model in which agents moving along the edges can contribute to dynamics at nodes or bypass them. The model takes the form of a system of first-order partial differential equations coupled with a system of ordinary differential equations, and can describe a range of phenomena, from diseases in metapopulations to migratory systems with delays, to cell differentiation processes, providing a unified platform that includes network transport and delay systems as particular cases. We prove the well-posedness of the model in $ L^p$ spaces, $ 1\leq p<\infty$, study long-term asymptotics, and illustrate the theory using an SIS disease in a metapopulation consisting of several sites where the disease develops, connected by routes along which the population can migrate, as an example.