Parameter space boundaries for unidentifiable compartmental models.

Abstract

Methods for dealing with unidentifiable compartmental models are first reviewed, emphasizing the parameter interval analysis and exhaustive modeling approaches. More general methods are presented for generating the set of all nonnegative parameter solutions that localize the parameters within bounded regions of parameter space and extend previously published parameter bounding strategies. Each point of these regions is an equivalent solution of the parameter identification problem. If a point on the boundary is selected, at least one of the parameters vanishes and an equivalent submodel is obtained. This property shows the close relationship between the exhaustive modeling and parameter interval analysis approaches.