Non-standard finite difference method applied to an initial boundary value problem describing hepatitis B virus infection

In this paper, two non-standard finite difference (NSFD) schemes are proposed for a mathematical model of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection with spatial dependence. The dynamic properties of the obtained discretized systems are completely analyzed. Relying on the theory of M-matrix, we prove that the proposed NSFD schemes is unconditionally positive. Furthermore, we establish that the NSFD method used preserves all constant steady states of the corresponding continuous initial boundary value problem (IBVP) model. We prove that the conditions for those equilibria to be asymptotically stable are consistent with the continuous IBVP model independently of the numerical grid size. The global asymptotical properties of the HBV-free equilibrium of the proposed NSFD schemes are derived via the construction of a suitable discrete Lyapunov function, and coincides with the continuous system. This confirms that the discretized models are dynamically consistent since they maintain essential properties of the corresponding continuous IBVP model. Finally, numerical simulations are performed from which it is demonstrated that the proposed NSFD method is advantageous over the standard finite difference (SFD) method.