NUMBER OF EXPONENTIAL TERMS DESCRIBING THE SOLUTION OF AN N-COMPARTMENTAL MAMMILLARY MODEL - VANISHING EXPONENTIALS

The solution for a linear mammillary model is always described by a summation of m+1 negative exponential terms with constant coefficients m+1≤N, where N is the number of compartments in the model, m is equal to the number of distinct values for the peripheral Ej values. Use is made of matrix notation and the theorems of Browne concerning the eigenvalues of a matrix. The consequences of vanishing exponentials are derived, and in particular the apparent volume of distribution frequently calculated from experimental data is shown not to be unique. © 1979 Plenum Publishing Corporation.