New approach to dynamical Monte Carlo methods: application to an epidemic model

In this work we introduce a new approach to dynamical Monte Carlo methods to simulate Markovian processes. We apply this approach to formulate and study an epidemic generalized SIRS model. The results are in excellent agreement with the forth order Runge-Kutta Method in a region of deterministic solution. We also show that purely local interactions reproduce a poissonian-like process at mesoscopic level. The simulations for this case are checked self-consistently using a stochastic version of the Euler Method. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.