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The paper presents a review of recent developments of hybrid discrete-continuous models in cell population dynamics. Such models are widely used in the biological modelling. Cells are considered as individual objects which can divide, die by apoptosis, differentiate and move under external forces. In the simplest representation cells are considered as soft spheres, and their motion is described by Newton’s second law for their centers. In a more complete representation, cell geometry and structure can be taken into account. Cell fate is determined by concentrations of intra-cellular substances and by various substances in the extracellular matrix, such as nutrients, hormones, growth factors. Intra-cellular regulatory networks are described by ordinary differential equations while extracellular species by partial differential equations. We illustrate the application of this approach with some examples including bacteria filament and tumor growth. These examples are followed by more detailed studies of erythropoiesis and immune response. Erythrocytes are produced in the bone marrow in small cellular units called erythroblastic islands. Each island is formed by a central macrophage surrounded by erythroid progenitors in different stages of maturity. Their choice between self-renewal, differentiation and apoptosis is determined by the ERK/Fas regulation and by a growth factor produced by the macrophage. Normal functioning of erythropoiesis can be compromised by the development of multiple myeloma, a malignant blood disorder which leads to a destruction of erythroblastic islands and to sever anemia. The last part of the work is devoted to the applications of hybrid models to study immune response and the development of viral infection. A two-scale model describing processes in a lymph node and other organs including the blood compartment is presented.

The article deals with the problem of a distributed system operation reliability. The system core is an open integration platform that provides interaction of varied software for modeling gas transportation. Some of them provide an access through thin clients on the cloud technology “software as a service”. Mathematical models of operation, transmission and computing are to ensure the operation of an automated dispatching system for oil and gas transportation. The paper presents a system solution based on the theory of Markov random processes and considers the stable operation stage. The stationary operation mode of the Markov chain with continuous time and discrete states is described by a system of Chapman–Kolmogorov equations with respect to the average numbers (mathematical expectations) of the objects in certain states. The objects of research are both system elements that are present in a large number – thin clients and computing modules, and individual ones – a server, a network manager (message broker). Together, they are interacting Markov random processes. The interaction is determined by the fact that the transition probabilities in one group of elements depend on the average numbers of other elements groups.

The authors propose a multi-criteria dispersion model of risk assessment for such systems (both in the broad and narrow sense, in accordance with the IEC standard). The risk is the standard deviation of estimated object parameter from its average value. The dispersion risk model makes possible to define optimality criteria and whole system functioning risks. In particular, for a thin client, the following is calculated: the loss profit risk, the total risk of losses due to non-productive element states, and the total risk of all system states losses.

Finally the paper proposes compromise schemes for solving the multi-criteria problem of choosing the optimal operation strategy based on the selected set of compromise criteria.

The paper proposes an approach to simulation of a sport game, consisting of a discrete set of separate competitions. According to this approach, such a competition is considered as a random processes, generally — a non-Markov’s one. At first we treat the flow of the game as a Markov’s process, obtaining recursive relationship between the probabilities of achieving certain states of score in a tennis match, as well as secondary indicators of the game, such as expectation and variance of the number of serves to finish the game. Then we use a simulation system, modeling the match, to allow an arbitrary change of the probabilities of the outcomes in the competitions that compose the match. We, for instance, allow the probabilities to depend on the results of previous competitions. Therefore, this paper deals with a modification of the model, previously proposed by the authors for sports games with continuous time.

The proposed approach allows to evaluate not only the probability of the final outcome of the match, but also the probabilities of reaching each of the possible intermediate results, as well as secondary indicators of the game, such as the number of separate competitions it takes to finish the match. The paper includes a detailed description of the construction of a simulation system for a game of a tennis match. Then we consider simulating a set and the whole tennis match by analogy. We show some statements concerning fairness of tennis serving rules, understood as independence of the outcome of a competition on the right to serve first. We perform simulation of a cancelled ATP series match, obtaining its most probable intermediate and final outcomes for three different possible variants of the course of the match.

The main result of this paper is the developed method of simulation of the match, applicable not only to tennis, but also to other types of sports games with discrete time.

The paper proposes a mathematical model for the therapy of glioma, taking into account the blood-brain barrier, radiotherapy and antibody therapy. The parameters were estimated from experimental data and the evaluation of the effect of parameter values on the effectiveness of treatment and the prognosis of the disease were obtained. The possible variants of sequential use of radiotherapy and the effect of antibodies have been explored. The combined use of radiotherapy with intravenous administration of $mab$ $Cx43$ leads to a potentiation of the therapeutic effect in glioma.

Radiotherapy must precede chemotherapy, as radio exposure reduces the barrier function of endothelial cells. Endothelial cells of the brain vessels fit tightly to each other. Between their walls are formed so-called tight contacts, whose role in the provision of BBB is that they prevent the penetration into the brain tissue of various undesirable substances from the bloodstream. Dense contacts between endothelial cells block the intercellular passive transport.

The mathematical model consists of a continuous part and a discrete one. Experimental data on the volume of glioma show the following interesting dynamics: after cessation of radio exposure, tumor growth does not resume immediately, but there is some time interval during which glioma does not grow. Glioma cells are divided into two groups. The first group is living cells that divide as fast as possible. The second group is cells affected by radiation. As a measure of the health of the blood-brain barrier system, the ratios of the number of BBB cells at the current moment to the number of cells at rest, that is, on average healthy state, are chosen.

The continuous part of the model includes a description of the division of both types of glioma cells, the recovery of BBB cells, and the dynamics of the drug. Reducing the number of well-functioning BBB cells facilitates the penetration of the drug to brain cells, that is, enhances the action of the drug. At the same time, the rate of division of glioma cells does not increase, since it is limited not by the deficiency of nutrients available to cells, but by the internal mechanisms of the cell. The discrete part of the mathematical model includes the operator of radio interaction, which is applied to the indicator of BBB and to glial cells.

Within the framework of the mathematical model of treatment of a cancer tumor (glioma), the problem of optimal control with phase constraints is solved. The patient’s condition is described by two variables: the volume of the tumor and the condition of the BBB. The phase constraints delineate a certain area in the space of these indicators, which we call the survival area. Our task is to find such treatment strategies that minimize the time of treatment, maximize the patient’s rest time, and at the same time allow state indicators not to exceed the permitted limits. Since the task of survival is to maximize the patient’s lifespan, it is precisely such treatment strategies that return the indicators to their original position (and we see periodic trajectories on the graphs). Periodic trajectories indicate that the deadly disease is translated into a chronic one.

The paper analyzes the methods of studying the process of interaction of soil environments with the tillage tools of soil processing machines. The mathematical methods of numerical modeling are considered in detail, which make it possible to overcome the disadvantages of analytical and empirical approaches. A classification and overview of the possibilities the continuous (FEM — finite element method, CFD — computational fluid dynamics) and discrete (DEM — discrete element method, SPH — hydrodynamics of smoothed particles) numerical methods is presented. Based on the discrete element method, a mathematical model has been developed that represents the soil in the form of a set of interacting small spherical elements. The working surfaces of the tillage tool are presented in the framework of the finite element approximation in the form of a combination of many elementary triangles. The model calculates the movement of soil elements under the action of contact forces of soil elements with each other and with the working surfaces of the tillage tool (elastic forces, dry and viscous friction forces). This makes it possible to assess the influence of the geometric parameters of the tillage tools, technological parameters of the process and soil parameters on the geometric indicators of soil displacement, indicators of the self-installation of tools, power loads, quality indicators of loosening and spatial distribution of indicators. A total of 22 indicators were investigated (or the distribution of the indicator in space). This makes it possible to reproduce changes in the state of the system of elements of the soil (soil cultivation process) and determine the total mechanical effect of the elements on the moving tillage tools of the implement. A demonstration of the capabilities of the mathematical model is given by the example of a study of soil cultivation with a disk cultivator battery. In the computer experiment, a virtual soil channel of 5×1.4 m in size and a 3D model of a disk cultivator battery were used. The radius of the soil particles was taken to be 18 mm, the speed of the tillage tool was 1 m/s, the total simulation time was 5 s. The processing depth was 10 cm at angles of attack of 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30°. The verification of the reliability of the simulation results was carried out on a laboratory stand for volumetric dynamometry by examining a full-scale sample, made in full accordance with the investigated 3D-model. The control was carried out according to three components of the traction resistance vector: $F_x$, $F_y$ and $F_z$. Comparison of the data obtained experimentally with the simulation data showed that the discrepancy is not more than 22.2%, while in all cases the maximum discrepancy was observed at angles of attack of the disk battery of 30°. Good consistency of data on three key power parameters confirms the reliability of the whole complex of studied indicators.

This paper presents new research results that have been conducted at the Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences since 2011 under the leadership of Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences V. I.Mayevsky. These works are aimed at developing the theory of switching mode of reproduction and corresponding mathematical models, the peculiarity of which is that they explicitly model the interaction of the financial and real sectors of the economy, and the country’s economy itself is not disaggregated according to the sectoral principle (engineering, agriculture, services, etc.), but by production subsystems that differ from each other by the age of the fixed capital. One of the mathematical difficulties of working with such models, called models of switching mode of reproduction (SMR), is the difficulty of modeling competitive relationships between subsystems of different “ages”. Therefore, until now, the interaction of a finite number of production subsystems has been considered in the SMR models, the models themselves were of a discrete-continuous nature, calculations were done exclusively on computers, and obtaining analytical dependencies was difficult. This paper shows that for the special case of balanced economic growth and a continuum of production subsystems, it is possible to obtain analytical expressions that allow a better understanding of the impact of monetary policy on economic dynamics. In addition to purely scientific interest, this is of great practical importance, since it allows us to assess the possible reaction of the real sector of the economy to changes in the monetary sphere without conducting complex simulation calculations.

The work presents an experimental study of the tree structure that occurs during a medical examination. At each meeting with a medical specialist, the patient receives a certain number of areas for consulting other specialists or for tests. A tree of directions arises, each branch of which the patient should pass. Depending on the branching of the tree, it can be as final — and in this case the examination can be completed — and endless when the patient’s goal cannot be achieved. In the work both experimentally and theoretically studied the critical properties of the transition of the system from the forest of the final trees to the forest endless, depending on the probabilistic characteristics of the tree.

For the description, a model is proposed in which a discrete function of the probability of the number of branches on the node repeats the dynamics of a continuous gaussian distribution. The characteristics of the distribution of the Gauss (mathematical expectation of $x_0$, the average quadratic deviation of $\sigma$) are model parameters. In the selected setting, the task refers to the problems of branching random processes (BRP) in the heterogeneous model of Galton – Watson.

Experimental study is carried out by numerical modeling on the final grilles. A phase diagram was built, the boundaries of areas of various phases are determined. A comparison was made with the phase diagram obtained from theoretical criteria for macrosystems, and an adequate correspondence was established. It is shown that on the final grilles the transition is blurry.

The description of the blurry phase transition was carried out using two approaches. In the first, standard approach, the transition is described using the so-called inclusion function, which makes the meaning of the share of one of the phases in the general set. It was established that such an approach in this system is ineffective, since the found position of the conditional boundary of the blurred transition is determined only by the size of the chosen experimental lattice and does not bear objective meaning.

The second, original approach is proposed, based on the introduction of an parameter of order equal to the reverse average tree height, and the analysis of its behavior. It was established that the dynamics of such an order parameter in the $\sigma = \text{const}$ section with very small differences has the type of distribution of Fermi – Dirac ($\sigma$ performs the same function as the temperature for the distribution of Fermi – Dirac, $x_0$ — energy function). An empirical expression has been selected for the order parameter, an analogue of the chemical potential is introduced and calculated, which makes sense of the characteristic scale of the order parameter — that is, the values of $x_0$, in which the order can be considered a disorder. This criterion is the basis for determining the boundary of the conditional transition in this approach. It was established that this boundary corresponds to the average height of a tree equal to two generations. Based on the found properties, recommendations for medical institutions are proposed to control the provision of limb of the path of patients.

The model discussed and its description using conditionally-infinite trees have applications to many hierarchical systems. These systems include: internet routing networks, bureaucratic networks, trade and logistics networks, citation networks, game strategies, population dynamics problems, and others.

A dynamic game theoretic model of struggle against corruption in resource allocation is considered. It is supposed that the system of resource allocation includes one principal, one or several supervisors, and several agents. The relations between them are hierarchical: the principal influences to the supervisors, and they in turn exert influence on the agents. It is assumed that the supervisor can be corrupted. The agents propose bribes to the supervisor who in exchange allocates additional resources to them. It is also supposed that the principal is not corrupted and does not have her own purposes. The model is investigated from the point of view of the supervisor and the agents. From the point of view of agents a non-cooperative game arises with a set of Nash equilibria as a solution. The set is found analytically on the base of Pontryagin maximum principle for the specific class of model functions. From the point of view of the supervisor a hierarchical Germeyer game of the type Г_2t is built, and the respective algorithm of its solution is proposed. The punishment strategy is found analytically, and the reward strategy is built numerically on the base of a discrete analogue of the initial continuous- time model. It is supposed that all agents can change their strategies in the same time instants only a finite number of times. Thus, the supervisor can maximize his objective function of many variables instead of maximization of the objective functional. A method of qualitatively representative scenarios is used for the solution. The idea of this method consists in that it is possible to choose a very small number of scenarios among all potential ones that represent all qualitatively different trajectories of the system dynamics. These scenarios differ in principle while all other scenarios yield no essentially new results. Then a complete enumeration of the qualitatively representative scenarios becomes possible. After that, the supervisor reports to the agents the rewardpunishment control mechanism.

The background social strain of a society can be quantitatively estimated using various statistical indicators. Mathematical models, allowing to forecast the dynamics of social strain, are successful in describing various social processes. If the number of interacting groups is small, the dynamics of the corresponding indicators can be modelled with a system of ordinary differential equations. The increase in the number of interacting components leads to the growth of complexity, which makes the analysis of such models a challenging task. A continuous social stratification model can be considered as a result of the transition from a discrete number of interacting social groups to their continuous distribution in some finite interval. In such a model, social strain naturally spreads locally between neighbouring groups, while in reality, the social elite influences the whole society via news media, and the Internet allows non-local interaction between social groups. These factors, however, can be taken into account to some extent using the term of the model, describing negative external influence on the society. In this paper, we develop a continuous social stratification model, describing the dynamics of two societies connected through migration. We assume that people migrate from the social group of donor society with the highest strain level to poorer social layers of the acceptor society, transferring the social strain at the same time. We assume that all model parameters are constants, which is a realistic assumption for small societies only. By using the finite volume method, we construct the spatial discretization for the problem, capable of reproducing finite propagation speed of social strain. We verify the discretization by comparing the results of numerical simulations with the exact solutions of the auxiliary non-linear diffusion equation. We perform the numerical analysis of the proposed model for different values of model parameters, study the impact of migration intensity on the stability of acceptor society, and find the destabilization conditions. The results, obtained in this work, can be used in further analysis of the model in the more realistic case of inhomogeneous coefficients.

The paper considers an earlier proposed by the author discrete modification of the A. P. Mikhailov “power – society” model. The modification is based on a stochastic cellular automaton, it’s microdynamics being completely different from the c continuous model based on differential equations. However, the macrodynamics of the discrete modification is shown in previous works to be equivalent to one of the continuous model. This is important, but at the same time raises the question why use the discrete model. The answer lies in its flexibility, which allows adding a variety of factors, the consideration of which in a continuous model either leads to a significant increase in computational complexity or is simply impossible.

This paper considers several examples of such applicability expansion of the model, with the help of which a number of applied problems are solved.

One of the modifications of the model takes into account economic ties between regions and municipalities, which could not be studied in the basic model. Computational experiments confirmed the improvement of the socio-economic indicators of the system under the influence of the ties.

The second modification allows internal migration in the system. Using it we studied the socio-economic development of a more prosperous region that attracts migrants.

Next we studied the dynamics of the system while the number of regions and municipalities changes. The negative impact of this process on the socio-economic indicators of the system was shown and possible control was found to overcome this negative impact.

The results of this study, therefore, include both the solution of some applied problems and the demonstration of the broader applicability of the discrete model compared with the continuous one.