Laplace Transforms and Coupled Differential Equations

Chapter 3 considered systems in which the rate of flow between two compartments was described by zeroth or first order kinetics, and where flow was in one direction only. Solutions were obtained by solving for the amount in the first compartment of the chain, and then proceeding through the chain to the final compartment in the order in which compartments are encountered. This process of solution was effective because Bernoulli’s solution to any one compartment involved knowledge only of the functions describing compartments “higher” in the chain. At no time did the differential equation for a given compartment involve information on compartments “further down” the chain.