On the Origin of Zombies: A Modeling Approach

Authors

  • Alisha Kumari Siena College
  • Elijah Reece Siena College
  • Kursad Tosun Siena College
  • Scott Greenhalgh Siena College

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33043/G35CFC8HVN

Abstract

A zombie apocalypse is one pandemic that would likely be worse than anything humanity has ever seen. However, despite the mechanisms for zombie uprisings in pop culture, it is unknown whether zombies, from an evolutionary point of view, can actually rise from the dead. To provide insight into this unknown, we created a mathematical model that predicts the trajectory of human and zombie populations during a zombie apocalypse. We parametrized our model according to the demographics of the US, the zombie literature, and then conducted an evolutionary invasion analysis to determine conditions that permit the evolution of zombies. Our results indicate a zombie invasion is theoretically possible, provided the ratio of transmission rate to the zombie death rate is sufficiently large. While achieving this ratio is uncommon in nature, the existence of zombie ant fungus illustrates it is possible and thereby suggests that a zombie apocalypse among humans could occur.

Author Biographies

Alisha Kumari, Siena College

Alisha Kumari is an applied physics major on the mechanical engineering track at Siena College. After graduating in 2024, she plans on pursuing a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and pursuing a job in this field.

Elijah Reece, Siena College

Elijah Reece is an undergrad in biology at Siena College set to graduate in 2022. After obtaining his Bachelor’s degree, he plans to enroll in medical school with the goal of becoming a pediatrician. Eli credits his family and his passion for the health of children as his inspiration.

Kursad Tosun, Siena College

Kursad Tosun is an applied mathematician/statistician, interested in medical research. He received his Ph.D. in mathematics with a focus on probability theory from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Currently, Kursad Tosun is teaching in the Department of Mathematics at Siena College. He held positions in the Faculty of Medicine at Mugla Sitki Kocman University, Mathematics and Statistics Department at Vassar College, Mathematics Department at Southern Illinois University, and Cancer Institute at West Virginia University.

Scott Greenhalgh, Siena College

Scott Greenhalgh is a 5th year Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Siena College. He received his PhD in applied mathematics from the University of Guelph, and now specializes in disease modeling. Outside of academics, Scott loves hockey, pizza, and regularly plays "the floor is lava" with his two-year-old.

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Published

2026-03-03

How to Cite

Kumari, A., Reece, E., Tosun, K., & Greenhalgh, S. (2026). On the Origin of Zombies: A Modeling Approach. Mathematics Exchange, 16(1), 36–49. https://doi.org/10.33043/G35CFC8HVN

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 1 (2022): Mathematics Exchange, Fall 2022

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Alisha Kumari, Elijah Reece, Kursad Tosun, Scott Greenhalgh

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.